To Hold You Tight
by faeryespell
Summary: Between these two, destiny itself knows not the future for their relationship. It can only reveal day by day after that moment of their first kiss.
1. Reaction to a Moment

_In dedication to all those asking for the continuation of the _On the Rooftop _story, I present to you with yet another tale for you to read. My greatest thanks to those who enjoyed it, and I hope you will enjoy this one quite a bit. _

_To Hold You Tight_

The First Continuing Chapter: Reaction to a Moment

Tohru's eyes snapped open, yet she felt the rest of her body remain rigidly still. She looked directly at the blur right in front of her. _His_ blurred face. Something soothingly soft was touching her lips. It took her several seconds to realize what she had never expected to experience, or never _thought_ of experiencing. Kyo was kissing her.

After this realization, Tohru closed her eyes once again, but she became vaguely aware of her... _vulnerablilty_, though all else disappeared without her knowledge. She could no longer hear the sounds of the night insects, nor feel the gentle push of the breeze except the heated touch of Kyo's hand on her neck. But funnily enough, all those romance movies she had ever watched popped into her mind, and at once she felt a strong sense of awed disbelief. Kyo was actually _kissing_ her. Tohru, still pondering on the reality of it, began to wonder an unanticipated thing. She didn't know _how_ to kiss. Her heart pounding so loudly- Tohru thought it ironic that she could hear it when she could hear nothing else- she pulled her head back in panic.

'I'm sorry!' said Kyo immediately, quickly letting go of Tohru's neck. 'I- was that wrong? I know I shouldn't have. Stupid... I'm such an idiot for assuming –'

'Um...' was all Tohru could say. Frankly, she was still stunned, but judging by Kyo's worried expression, he was expecting her to say something meaningful. 'I- I'm sorry, for, um, pulling back... I just got... scared.'

'You didn't like it, right? I'm sorry,' muttered Kyo, lowering his gaze and shifting uncomfortably.

'No! I did –!' Tohru suddenly felt dizzy; she was feeling too many emotions, hearing too many of her own thoughts. 'I... I really did. I liked it... Kyo.' She was starting to feel strange saying his name now. Had she really liked it?

'Why were you scared?' asked Kyo quietly, still looking down at his feet.

Tohru licked her lips, and adrenaline shot through her as she recalled Kyo's own lips on them. 'I was just... you- you caught me off guard. And I- I didn't know what to, I mean how to, kiss so I panicked, but really, I wasn't _scared_, sorry I said that! I-I... I liked it...'

Kyo looked up and stared at her with an unreadable expression. Though his sharp burgundy eyes seemed to bore right through Tohru's maddened mind, she couldn't help but stare back. Her heart continued to beat crazily, and finally Kyo gave a small smile.

'I liked it too,' he said.

Tohru blushed, and she was positive Kyo could see it. He remained smiling though, whether he noticed it or not. 'W-Was that really what you wanted to do most?' she squeaked. He nodded silently.

'Oh... okay...' Tohru looked away, feeling her blush deepen. 'Um... I better go back to my room now... I'll see you tomorrow, um, Kyo...' She stood up and smiled faintly at him, then turned away, just missing his expression turn into one of pain.

oOo

'DAMMIT!' yelled Kyo, just as he was sure Tohru was out of earshot. He groaned loudly and collapsed back onto the roof's slanted surface. 'Why, why, _WHY_ the _hell_ did I kiss her?'

He breathed anxiously but quietly, and closing his eyes to the starry sky overhead, let his mind loose. _That felt amazing... her mouth, her small lips on mine... what was she thinking when I kissed her? Did she really like it? What was I doing, going and kissing her like that... I'm sure she hated it. She just said she liked it to make me feel good, I'm sure of it. She'll never look at me the same again. She hated the kiss, and now she hates me. Why did I freaking kiss her...? Why...?_

Kyo sat up as a sudden realization came to him. He turned his head to the left, to a particular area on the roof under which he knew was Tohru's bedroom. He stared at the empty space for a while, wondering what she was doing. Was she sleeping already, or was she... crying, perhaps? At this thought Kyo stood up and walked near to the area. He shook his head to ignore the opposing voice in his head, and he lowered himself over the edge of the roof with his hands until he hung just adjacent to Tohru's bedroom window. Carefully, feeling his heartbeat quicken once again, he released a hand's hold of the roof edge and slowly let his eyes peer into the room.

Tohru was lying on her bed, but she certainly wasn't asleep. It was dark, but the radiant moonlight shining into the room and his cursed catlike vision enabled Kyo to see her expression exactly. And it was all he could do to hope that the bright glow didn't give away his silhouette. Tohru's face wore a pondering look, and her eyes stared at a picture frame she held in front of her. _Kyoko_, thought Kyo, frowning. Tohru brought a hand to her mouth, and slowly let one finger run across her bottom lip. Kyo felt his heart skip a beat, not for the first time. _What _is_ she thinking? _He sighed inwardly and tore his eyes away from the window with extreme difficulty. Then something caught his gaze on the ground far below, staring at him with visibly seething eyes.

'What are you doing in front of Miss Honda's window?' hissed Yuki angrily. 'Get down here and tell me, stupid cat!'

Kyo shook his head in exasperation, wishing he could turn his back on a challenge this one time. He let go of the roof, however, and landed silently before Yuki. 'I wasn't doing anything. I'm not some perverted creep like Shigure. You ought to know me by know.'

'I don't believe you!' snapped Yuki. 'What the hell were you doing up there? Were you spying on Miss Honda?'

'Yes,' replied Kyo simply. Yuki stared at him, momentarily taken aback. Suddenly, Kyo felt a hard blow on his face and he was sent flying backwards. He crashed onto a tree behind, and he sprawled onto the dirt with a grunt, feeling blood trickle down his chin.

'Why were you spying on her?' demanded Yuki, his hands clenched in tight fists. Kyo licked the blood off the lip he had bitten as a result of the blow, and slowly stood up. He glared at Yuki and tilted his head to one side until a crack sounded from his neck.

'I was worried about her, damn you!' yelled Kyo. 'I did something which might have upset her, and I was just checking to make sure if she was okay!'

'What did you do?' asked Yuki, raising a fist slightly higher. '_What did you do?_'

Kyo suddenly began feeling immensely confused. His mind began clouding with the words Tohru had said, with the feelings he desperately hoped she felt, with the horrible thoughts of what people would say, what _Akito_ would say, about what he had done. He inhaled deeply, and stared directly at Yuki's impaling face.

'I kissed her,' said Kyo quietly.

Yuki remained stone silent, his eyes widening profusely. 'What?' he finally sputtered. 'Y-You think this is a joke? You're toying with me, and you're toying with her too, aren't you? You _kissed_ her? Tell me you're lying. Kyo, SAY YOU'RE LYING!'

Kyo shook his head and braced himself for the blows, which came much sooner than he expected. Yuki slammed his fists onto his face with abnormal speed, and he began thrashing Kyo against each tree that stood nearby. Though he was critically longing to retaliate, Kyo felt the treatment was what he ought to have for hurting Tohru.

'YOU STUPID CAT!' bellowed Yuki, ramming a fist into Kyo's stomach. 'STOP BEING A COWARD AND FIGHT!'

Kyo fell onto the ground with a loud groan he tried to suppress. Yuki stood back, his hair disarray, his mouth hanging with the quick intakes of breath.

'Get up and fight,' he said softly, raising a fist for another fatal blow. 'I said –!'

'STOP! PLEASE STOP!' screamed a sudden voice.

Yuki's hand stopped in midair, and he lowered it reluctantly. Kyo opened his agonizingly bruised eyes, and saw Tohru just a few feet away, wearing a pair of flowered pajamas and an appalled expression.

'What's wrong? Yuki, why are you hitting Kyo like that?' she asked loudly, her entire body plainly trembling.

'Miss Honda, I was just giving this stupid cat exactly what he deserved,' replied Yuki calmly. 'For hurting you.'

Tohru shook her head wildly. 'Kyo never hurt me! I don't know who told you that, but Kyo didn't do anything… wrong!'

Despite the brutal pain that occupied almost every area of his body, Kyo stood up, but staggered. Tohru leapt forwards and grabbed his shoulders to keep him from falling completely, and she gazed at him with a look of natural concern.

'I don't think you can go to school tomorrow…' she said softly, and she touched his bleeding lip. Kyo had a sudden vision it was her own lips that were touching his.

'Miss Honda, did he kiss you?' asked Yuki swiftly.

Tohru looked up in surprise. 'W-What? I-I, um...' she stammered, and she turned to Kyo, at a loss for words. Yuki understood, though, and he whirled around and sped into the house. Tohru watched him go in, from what Kyo could see, apologetic guilt.

'I told him, Tohru,' he said quietly. 'I'm sorry.'

'No, don't be!' Tohru shook her head once again. 'It's not your fault at all. Come on, I'll get you cleaned up.'

'Tohru, are you okay? I mean, with what I did?'

She gazed at him, her eyes glowing with the light of the evening. 'I honestly liked it, Kyo. Now come on, these wounds will have to be treated now or else they're going to last much longer. I hope we didn't wake up Shigure…'

oOo

'My goodness, Kyo, what happened to you?' asked Shigure with amusement. 'Fighting this late? I always thought you'd end up joining a gang of some other. Why –'

'Shut up, idiot!' yelled Kyo, as Tohru carefully wrapped a thin sheet of cloth around the cut on his arm. He grimaced with pain when she finally tightened it with a knot. 'Why are you even awake?'

'Such noises I heard,' replied Shigure, waving a hand dramatically. 'The brutality of wild noises of a fight somewhere. Not only that, but Tohru woke me up in her haste to get outside. I am a light sleeper, after all...'

'Oh my goodness, I am _so_ sorry, Shigure!' Tohru stood up from the floor hastily. 'I am so sorry! I didn't realize- I mean I shouldn't have...'

'Not to worry, not to worry. I was curious to see what was going on myself!'

'Damn dog...' muttered Kyo, and he stood up briskly. 'I'm going to my room.' He looked up at Tohru, whose face wore an expression of either sadness or confusion, he couldn't tell. She had plainly said she liked it, yet he remained disbelieving. He grabbed his bandaged arm and walked out into the dim hall.

What was to become of them now? Was that the end of it, the kiss? _What was Tohru feeling?_

'Kyo?' her sweet voice quietly echoed across the hall as he began to walk up the flight of stairs. He didn't want to face her right now, not when he was sure she was going to say something that would cause him to regret kissing her for the rest of his life. He hurried up the stairs.

'Kyo? I –!'

Feeling extremely guilty, Kyo closed the door of his room just as she reached it. He stood in the dark, not sure why he felt this way, what he felt exactly. Jubilance for kissing her, perhaps. Anger for telling Yuki, maybe. Fear?

'Kyo...' Tohru whispered through the thin wooden door. 'I-I'm sorry, for whatever you're feeling right now, if it's my fault. Um, I... t-thank you, Kyo; I had fun awhile ago. About the k-kiss, I, uh, but I really did like it, Kyo, please believe me. And, if you're worried how things will be from now on, I promise I'll stay the same, we'll be friends still, Kyo, I –'

'No, not friends,' interrupted Kyo, opening the door quickly. Tohru, her eyes teary, stared at him in confusion. 'I don't want to be friends, Tohru. I want us to be... more than that.'

'...More?' repeated Tohru, moving back slowly as Kyo took a step forward. He gazed down at her, his heart beating fast, his feet continuing to move towards her. Finally her back met the wall, and she looked up at him with wide eyes as he stood just inches from her. She looked so innocently beautiful. He lifted a hand and placed it against the wall, just beside her cheek, and he leaned closer. He didn't want to think anymore. Right now, he just wanted to kiss her. He pressed his lips against hers.

The kiss felt even more intense than before. Kyo felt the blood rush around his body like wildfire. Tohru seemed to stiffen, but after a few, delicious seconds, she went slack. Kyo slowly slipped his other hand round her waist, and pulled her closer, but not too close. A small sound escaped her, and Kyo thought he'd go crazy. She wasn't pulling back, and he opened his mouth slightly.

Perhaps it was the due to fact that nothing seemed to matter anymore at the moment, but in any case Kyo felt overwhelmingly happy.


	2. Unanswerable Questions

The Second Continuing Chapter: Unanswerable Questions

'Wait, wait. Let me get this straight. You and Kyo _kissed_? As in, mouth-to-mouth contact?'

Tohru felt her face grow redder as Arisa Uotani stared directly at her, her appalled eyes still visible behind the blond strands hanging before them. Tohru nodded meekly.

'OUR LITTLE TOHRU!' squealed Uo, grabbing Tohru and embracing her tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks. 'Orangey finally made a move, didn't he?'

'Yes, Tohru,' said Saki Hanajima quietly, a wide smile spread across her pale face. 'You're growing up so fast...'

'I'm so glad you two aren't angry!' said Tohru as Uo let go of her. She heaved an enormous sigh of relief, her worries of hurting her friends fading away quickly. She hadn't expected such a response when she had been agitatedly pondering over it during breakfast, for which Yuki was fortunately present. His unusual stone silence had made her uncomfortably guilty for some reason. Kyo hadn't seemed at all different, though, despite the various bruises and cuts that scattered his body. Still, the thought of what had happened the previous night made Tohru grin even broader. And yet she didn't know what to think of it.

'We could never get angry at you, Tohru,' said Hana. 'We could, though, at Kyo...'

'Yes, he didn't do anything _else_, did he, Tohru?' demanded Uo. 'If he does anything wrong, even lift a finger for a reason he doesn't say, he'll have to answer to us! I'll pound the guy if I have to!'

'Or I shall zap him with electric waves, perhaps...'

'Everything he does, you tell us, okay Tohru?'

'We don't want anything bad to happen to you. We care about you too much.'

Tohru looked at the two of them with a strong feeling of joy, their words bringing tears to her eyes. She was so blessed to have such wonderful friends! 'Oh, Hana, Uo! I love you two so much! Of course, I shall tell you two everything!' She hugged the two tightly.

'Geez, you people are so weird...' said a familiar voice behind them. Tohru looked up, and a sudden rush of adrenaline shot through her when she saw Kyo standing there, gazing at her with raised eyebrows.

'Kyo –!' she cried, stepping back clumsily. 'Hi! Um, I-I mean...'

'Dude, what happened?' asked Uo, her eyes travelling along Kyo's numerous bandages and purposefully letting out a loud chuckle. 'You look like you were mugged or something!'

'Shut up...' muttered Kyo. 'It's nothing.'

'Did you do this to him after he kissed you?' continued Uo, glancing sideways at Tohru expectantly, who jumped in alarm.

'WHAT?' both she and Kyo exclaimed at the same time. They looked at each other in confusion then Tohru bit her lip to let Kyo speak first.

'You _told_ them?' he demanded, his eyes wide and uncharacteristically panicky.

'We're her friends, you know...' whispered Hana in a dangerously calm tone. Uo nodded hard.

'Yeah, but- but...' spluttered Kyo. 'Tohru, can I talk to you outside for a second?'

'Don't forget you're in public!' said Uo slyly. Kyo shot her a steely glare, and he turned to go out of the classroom. Tohru, feeling immense guilt, followed him timidly.

As soon as her friends were out of earshot, she clasped Kyo's hands tightly. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry, Kyo!' she cried. 'I just had to tell them, they're my best friends! They won't tell anyone, I promise you! Besides, that's all I told them, and nothing about the curse, don't worry. I'm so sorry! I knew I should have asked you before telling them! I...' Tohru stopped, feeling herself blush once again. Kyo was gazing silently at her. She could only stare back; right now he seemed incredibly tall, yet how his eyes could reach hers so levelly was a thrilling mystery to her. And with the way they seemed to be so unusually hypnotizing, Tohru felt a shudder surge from her neck to the small of her back.

'TOHRU!' cried a familiar, shrill voice, and Tohru snapped out of her reverie. She let go of Kyo's hands and turned, her blush deepening. Momiji was running towards her, a bright grin spread across his face.

'Hi, Momiji!' she greeted enthusiastically, and her hands were grabbed by the boy's own. 'How are you?'

'I'm super!' cried Momiji in reply, noticing Kyo standing behind Tohru, and he tilted his blond head to one side. 'Hey Kyo, why do you look like someone beat you up pretty badly?'

'Fighting with Yuki, I suppose?' said Hatsuharu, coming up behind Momiji.

'You could say that,' Kyo replied flatly. For a moment he regarded Tohru, who seemed to have forgotten about him, then he stepped closer to Hatsuharu. 'Hey, by any chance, has he told you anything... out of the ordinary?'

Hatsuharu slid a hand into one of his trouser pockets. 'Yuki? Not recently, why?'

'No reason.' Kyo fought the urge to let out a relieved sigh. So Yuki hadn't told anyone, or Hatsuharu, for that matter. He was sure he'd be the first to know... _that I kissed Tohru_, thought Kyo in disbelief. He still couldn't acknowledge the fact that he had most certainly kissed her, and _twice _to be exact. His heart skipped a beat when he recalled that moment in the corridor. But what was to happen now? Had the kiss been the end of everything between them? No, he wanted more... but how was he going to ask her to be his –

'Kyo, what's up?' asked Hatsuharu suddenly, and Kyo snapped out of his reverie. 'You're acting kinda strange.'

'I'm just annoyed that damn rat beat me again,' answered Kyo, unable to think of any other excuse. Much to his relief, Hatsuharu nodded.

'Kyo? Can I take Tohru to my classroom?' Momiji stared at him with questionable eyes. 'I want to show her a poster I made for an assignment.'

'Why are you asking me? Ask Tohru if she wants to go. It's not like I'm her, her...'

'Boyfriend,' finished Hatsuharu.

Kyo felt a blush rising. 'No,' he muttered through clenched teeth. 'Her... bodyguard.' Hatsuharu raised an eyebrow in amusement.

'No, silly. You were talking to her awhile ago,' said Momiji with a chuckle. 'Is it okay if I interrupt and show her my poster?'

Kyo gazed at Tohru's warm, expectant smile. 'Fine... do what you want,' he sighed. He watched the two of them run off in delight, particularly Tohru. She looked so beautifully happy. It seemed almost impossible to merely imagine it would be like for them to be a 'couple'. It had always occurred to Kyo that once a boy and girl shared a kiss, they were bound to be together at that instant. Unfortunately, in this case, he wasn't sure whether that idea was believable now. For one thing, they sure didn't _act_ like a typical couple, otherwise Tohru would still be at his side, or, rather, the two of them alone somewhere secluded, immersed in an intense kiss... perhaps that was all it took for them to be like an official couple. He would keep kissing her, not that he really minded... he would be with her constantly, not that he didn't want to already... and he would love her completely, not that he didn't already feel inexplicable love for her and perpetual desire to _always_ love her...

'You sure you're okay?' asked Hatsuharu, an obvious hint of concern in his voice. 'You look... _lost_.'

'I'm fine,' replied Kyo a little too strongly. 'I- I'll see you later.' He turned and walked back towards the classroom. But, thinking better of the decision, he increased his stride and headed for the roof instead. He needed time to think.

'Hang on a minute,' said a sharp voice, and Kyo felt his a powerful grip on his shoulder. He slowly rotated on his feet, and frowned at Arisa Uotani and at Saki Hanajima at her side.

'And you want...?' inquired Kyo.

Uo released her hold on his shoulder. 'We just want to ask you a few questions.'

'About?'

'What your intentions with Tohru are,' whispered Hana calmly. 'We just want to ensure her safety and happiness.'

'Yeah, questions like, what are you gonna do now?' demanded Uo, her eyes narrowing to thin slits. 'We knew you'd make a move sooner or later, but what happens then? You're not thinking of just leaving her, are you? Maybe you're thinking that now that you've kissed her, you're satisfied, you're done with her, you'll _ditch_ Tohru?'

'Of course not!' snapped Kyo, feeling slightly alarmed. 'I'd never do that!'

'You just might...' muttered Uo. 'Do you like her enough to _want_ to keep her happy?'

'I _always_ want her to be happy!' cried Kyo. 'I _love_ her!'

Both Uo and Hana stared at him in silence, and they exchanged awkward glances.

'Do you really mean that, Kyo?' asked Hana quietly.

'Yes,' said Kyo firmly. 'And I don't care what you two want me to feel or how to act. I love Tohru, and I'm going to do everything I can to show it.'

In angry determination, he whipped around and ran, hardly caring to notice the surprised, almost pleased faces of the two girls behind.

oOo

Kyo heard the school clock chime loudly, indicating the end of school. But he felt like staying for a few more years of his life up on the roof. He was actually beginning to regret kissing Tohru. It was causing too much mental issues. But even so, if he could somehow defy the rules of nature and turn back time, he would have still been driven to kissing her. The urge, and he still felt it at this moment, was too strong to ignore. He gave out a long, loud sigh. Yes, he did love Tohru. But her friends had been right on asking one thing: what _would_ happen next?

A sudden shuffle of feet made Kyo look around. His jaw hardened as Yuki slowly walked towards him.

'I need to know some things,' said Yuki tonelessly. He stared fixedly at Kyo, as if peering into his eyes would somehow provide him with the answers to his questions.

'Why did I kiss Tohru?' Kyo guessed, in the same neutral tone. 'That's what you're trying to find out, isn't it?'

'What do you feel for her?' asked Yuki quietly.

Kyo narrowed his eyes suspiciously, then slowly turned his head away. 'The same thing you do.'

'And how would you know what _I_ feel for Miss Honda?' snapped Yuki. 'I bet you're just doing this to spite me!'

'Doing _what_?'

'TAKING HER AWAY FROM ME!' yelled Yuki. Then, as if realizing his words, his mouth pursed into a tight line.

'_What are you saying?_' Kyo whirled around, appalled. 'You think that everything I do is a problem for you? I'm not taking her away! Damn you, she wasn't even yours to begin with! I did what I did because I _needed_ to! Don't tell me you're pissed because I acted before you did!'

Yuki gaped at him, obviously taken aback. But Kyo couldn't stop his mouth from tumbling out the words he wanted to say.

'Look, if it makes you feel any better, I don't even know what to do next! You should be happy about that! There doesn't seem to be any sign of Tohru deciding to ever have anything to do with me again, so go ahead and do what you want! Grovel at her feet for all I care!' Kyo swallowed hard, and, more than he would like to admit, he felt like burying himself in Tohru's arms and crying.

Yuki took a small step backward, and shook his head slowly. 'I'm not letting you go without a fight. I'm not going to do anything... but let me tell you this: If you hurt Miss Honda in any way, you _will_ answer to me.' He gazed at Kyo for a few cold seconds, then turned and headed for the stairs leading down.

Kyo gave out a frustrated cry and slammed a fist onto the cement beneath him. He felt completely at a loss, and he was furious with himself for it. Then, glancing up, his eyes caught a familiar figure on the compound below. Without a moment's hesitation he stood up.

oOo

'TOHRU!'

Tohru automatically looked around at the sound of her name. She felt a sudden rush of adrenaline as she saw Kyo running towards her, and she greeted him with an instinctive smile. Confusion overcame her, though.

'Hi, Kyo! What are you doing here? I thought you left for home early.'

'Who told you that?'

Tohru took a moment to actually take in his words. She noticed again how tall he was, and presently, as he stood before her with a small frown, he looked rather different. It was if she was seeing him from a different angle, from another's point of view, if that was possible. She could only summarize what she was thinking into this: he looked particularly handsome today.

'Yuki told me. Hatsuharu said you had been acting a little strange, and that you disappeared to some place. I thought you were on the roof, but then I met Yuki on the way and he said you told him you were going home. Are you feeling okay?'

'I'm fine, don't worry...' Kyo gave her a small, warm smile. She felt her cheeks grow considerably warm. 'Yuki must've gotten the wrong idea. I told him I _felt _like going home, so he probably assumed that I actually _was_ going to.' Tohru thought she saw a flicker of anger flash across Kyo's eyes, but it disappeared as soon as she could be sure. 'Anyhow, thanks for going through all that trouble just to find me.'

'I was worried about you, Kyo! I was actually going to cook you something in case you were feeling sick, but I guess I don't have to now.'

Another warm smile. Tohru was beginning to wonder how a human heart could stand to skip so many beats within a span of just a few minutes.

'What were you going to cook for me?' asked Kyo, raising an eyebrow in amused curiosity.

'Oh! Um... chicken and corn soup...? I heard it's really good for a fever...'

Kyo regarded her for a while, his mouth frozen in a grin. Tohru felt herself blushing. Any moment now her face would burst of heat and blood overflow. She knew he could see her blush quite clearly, which would possibly explain the way he was looking at her right now. It was too intense a gaze. Maybe he was angry with her for some reason? She hadn't done anything to offend him, had she? Perhaps it was something she said... or something she did... A sudden thought stuck her into a panic. Was he disappointed because of the kiss? She _had_ been at a loss during that time, and although she had inevitably enjoyed the feeling –another heartbeat skip– she had wondered throughout the entire kiss whether she had been kissing right. And he was about to tell her about it, for certain.

'Tohru...' he whispered.

Before she could contain herself, Tohru burst out, 'I'M SORRY! I'm so sorry, I'm really, _really_ sorry! I- I didn't know what I was doing! I thought that, with all the movies I've watched, I knew what to do, but I didn't and now you're regretting ever doing it, aren't you? I'm sorry! I was stupid for assuming I knew what to do! But it- it felt really nice, so I decided not to say anything, and –!' Tohru stopped in shock as Kyo took a hold of her shoulders. She could feel heated electricity underneath his fingers. Then she recalled Uo's words about something like him lifting a finger without saying why, and she was wondering if she should push his hands away… but then it would be rude, and Uo never mentioned his touch would feel so good…

'Tohru,' he said quietly, 'I love the way you kissed. It was perfect, okay? So don't worry about it. But I have to ask you one thing...'

'Yes?' squeaked Tohru.

'Do you think we should be, you and I...' Kyo's voice trailed off, then he shook his head. 'Forget it, it's not important. Let's go home now. But I'll probably ask you the question sooner or later. Right now, we should just... keep quiet about the kiss, okay? I don't want to risk you being hurt by Akito. So, another question, is it all right if we keep it to ourselves?'

Tohru nodded quickly. 'O- Of course it is! I won't tell anyone else, I swear!'

Kyo leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the forehead. She resisted giving out a gasp of surprised pleasure.

'Thanks,' he said softly.


	3. Desperate Touch

The Third Continuing Chapter- Desperate Touch

'Kyo's been acting a little different these past few days, don't you think?' asked Shigure, folding his arms and tilting his head to one side.

'What do you mean?' said Yuki, careful to keep his voice neutral and seemingly apathetic.

'Well, he hasn't broken anything, which strikes me as quite appalling, he hasn't shouted, at me nor at anything for that matter, and he seems to follow Tohru wherever she goes.' Shigure narrowed his eyes at Yuki slyly. 'I thought for certain you noticed it.'

'Well, you thought wrong,' Yuki said. 'There doesn't seem to be any change about that stupid cat that would –'

'Hey!' said a sudden voice. Kyo dashed into the room, his hair in disarray. 'Have you seen Tohru? I can't find her anywhere!'

'She's somewhere outside, if I'm correct,' sang Shigure. 'I think she's finding a place to work on this project she said she was going to do, something about making a house or...' He straightened himself as Kyo sped out of sight. 'Oh my... how very interesting, no, Yuki?'

'Don't start sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, Shigure.'

'Me? Stick my nose somewhere?' Shigure waved a hand dramatically. 'No, I would never do such a thing! I respect other people's privacy you know, but it is only when they have some problem or the other that I stick my nose in order to help them!'

'Despicable…' muttered Yuki. 'I'm going out.' He ignored his cousin's curious expression and went out of the room before he could say anything else.

Yes, Yuki _had_ noticed the change in Kyo. He was making it so obvious, pushing it in Yuki's face that he had kissed Tohru. Yuki felt his chest tighten. The thought of her being with that stupid cat was almost disgusting; the thought of them actually _kissing _was even more. But he had known it was bound to happen sooner or later. Kyo did love Tohru, but then, so did Yuki. The only thing that kept him from telling her so was the fact that he was afraid, afraid of so many _insipid_ things: Akito's reaction, the humiliation of transforming whenever he would hold Tohru, _her _reaction, but most of all, how their relationship would work because of all the other factors. Suddenly Yuki felt jealous of Kyo. He acted even though Yuki knew _Kyo_ knew the consequences of his actions. That was one reason Yuki hated Kyo so much. He wasn't afraid to do anything that resulted in conflict within the Sohma family. He was acting… as any _normal_ person would.

Yuki gave out a long, soft sigh. He came to the front porch, and halted in his tracks. Just beyond him stood Kyo, wearing a smile that his face had accustomed to carry ever since the talk on the school roof, sitting on the ground and talking animatedly to Tohru beside him, whose expression was, as always, pleasantly cheerful. A pile of wooden sticks lay before them, and Kyo was waving a few of them in front of his face.

'Come on, Tohru!' he was saying. 'You really don't need all this for that. I'm telling you, just use these five main sticks, and you'll get the same thing!'

'How can five sticks make an entire house?' wondered Tohru, smiling confusedly.

'You're just making a model! Tohru, trust me, this is all you need. Just cut them up into pieces… here, like this…'

And Yuki watched Kyo place his hands around Tohru's and guide them in snapping the twigs into several pieces. Much to his disappointment, Tohru seemed to be happy.

'Then how do you form the foundation?'

'Foundation? This house doesn't need one. Just arrange the pieces in such a way that you get the rough structure of the house, then you glue them together.'

'But the pieces are so small!'

'That's why I took the biggest sticks.'

'What? I…'

'Listen. You didn't have to go through all the trouble to collect all this. You could've chosen a few large branches, then broken them into smaller, equally sized pieces. Think of a branch this way: it's like a heart. It doesn't matter how many of them you have. It matters how big it is, and how much of it you can use. You get me?'

'So I can use five hearts to make this house?'

'No, no… think of these five sticks as one big stick, so it's one big heart. You give your heart into kindness, into helping people. So in a way, you're dividing your heart in order to give your all to everyone and everything. Now similarly, you give all of these sticks into making this house. This house represents all people and all things. These sticks are what you divide your heart into, what is enough to build the house completely. Man, I'm not sure if I'm making any sense. Okay, but –'

'No, Kyo,' said Tohru with a grin. She cupped a hand around one of his own and squeezed tightly. 'You're making perfect sense. I understand it now. Now please show me how I hold them and glue them together at the same time!'

'That's why I'm here, Tohru…'

Yuki couldn't take it anymore. He turned around silently and walked back into the house. He refused to admit it, but Kyo and Tohru seemed perfect for one another. Kyo was someone Tohru could surely count on, for helping her, for taking care of her, for loving her in a way no one else could possibly could. Yuki just realized that. He may love Tohru, but probably it just wasn't enough to act upon. He felt hopeless. For certain he couldn't keep the secret of Kyo and Tohru to himself for more than a week, in the least. He _had_ to tell someone, but definitely not Akito. Yuki didn't care much what Akito did to Kyo; it was his action on Tohru that would bother him.

No, he couldn't tell Akito. He couldn't tell anyone in the Sohma family, for that matter. But he had to tell _someone_. He didn't trust himself to stay low in knowing the secret, especially since it concerned affairs of his heart.

oOo

'Thank you so much, Kyo! It looks beautiful!' Tohru held up her completed model house in delight. 'Now the only thing left to do is make a dozen more!'

'_A dozen more?_' repeated Kyo, staring at her in mock disbelief. 'You should've told me that earlier! I could've gotten more sticks!'

'That's why I didn't tell you. I didn't want to bother you into doing so!' answered Tohru, grinning widely. Then her expression turned apologetic. 'I'm sorry, but I was having so much fun, I thought it'd be more fun if we could do one house after another, instead of making them altogether!'

Kyo shook his head, but chuckled. 'Okay... I'll go get more branches. Stay here, I'll be back in a minute.'

'No, wait, Kyo! I can do it –!'

'_Stay here..._'

Tohru watched him stand up and disappear into the woods before her. He was being such a... _gentleman_, she thought, her heart beating just a little faster. On impulse she touched the sides of her face, which, not to her surprise, were particularly warm, and for a reason other than the glare of the sun overhead. She wasn't sure why, but the fact that Kyo had been at her side almost every minute since the day of the kiss was making her feel –no other word to describe it– _special_. Was this how having a boyfriend felt like? Tohru gulped at the thought of the word _boyfriend_ itself. It didn't feel right to say somehow, yet it gave a significant pleasure of considering Kyo as one.

'Kyo is my boyfriend...' she whispered to herself. It sounded too unreal. She wasn't even sure if he _was _her boyfriend! He hadn't said anything about it, nor did he do things to make himself seem boyfriend material, but then, she didn't know what the kind of things boyfriends did looked like. Well, other than kissing her passionately whenever they were alone. He had, as a matter of fact, kissed her just about two hours ago, when he had come out of the house. _Seems quite longer than two hours_,Tohru thought in awe, glancing at her watch. She never realized she could miss something like a kiss. Now she knew the reason for the people in movies to want more after each kiss. It felt too good, and Tohru thought she would never get used to the fact that Kyo could bring his lips onto hers just like that... it seemed so fairytale-like...

'Hey, Tohru!' yelled Kyo, and she blinked herself back into reality. He emerged from the woods, carrying a small pile of gnarled branches. 'This should be enough to make more than a dozen houses!'

Tohru stood up in growing excitement. She never knew making models was so much fun!

'Here, let me help you – AAAAAHHH!' She screamed as she felt her feet tangle together. At once she saw Kyo dash forward and then she shut her eyes tightly. She felt herself fall onto the ground, but not as painfully as she expected. Risking opening an eye, she gasped at the puffs of colored clouds around her. After a few seconds the clouds cleared, and Tohru gasped yet again at the dazed-looking cat beneath her.

'I AM SO SORRY! I should really watch where I'm going! Oh... I'm such an idiot! Kyo, please be okay! I'm so sorry!' With growing panic she carefully slid her hands under the frail orange body and slowly lifted Kyo up. To her surprise, she saw tears in his slit-like eyes. Fear shot through her like fire. 'YOU'RE HURT! I'm so sorry! I- I'll bring you back to the house! Kyo, I'm sorry!'

'Tohru!' he interrupted her loudly. She closed her mouth; watching in horror as tears continued rolling down Kyo's furry cheek drop by drop, she let her face move closer to his. She hadn't known cats could actually cry. 'I'm not hurt...' Kyo whispered.

'Are you sure? Then why are you crying?'

Kyo looked straight at her, and he rested his small paws on her wrists. 'Because I just realized I will never be able to save you completely.'

'Save me? Kyo, I...'

'I will never be able to stop you from falling and getting hurt. I will never be able to actually HOLD you, Tohru! How can I protect you if I can't even hold you? _I can't hold you... I can't hold you... myself..._'

And for a reason Tohru couldn't explain, she, too, began crying.

'What I wanted to ask you the other day, that question I said wasn't important?' continued Kyo, letting go more tears on seeing Tohru's own watery eyes. ' The question was... do you think we should be together when I can't even be a normal boyfriend? I can't hold you, Tohru. I want to always protect you. _I want to hold you when I kiss you_. But I... _can't_...'

oOo

Shigure, careful to keep himself within the shadows of the house, watched in sympathy as Tohru stood up and hugged Kyo's cat form.

'I really hope she knows what she's getting herself into,' wondered Shigure aloud to himself. 'There's nothing worse than having your heart broken by the one you love...'


	4. Maintenance of a Secret

The Fourth Continuing Chapter- Maintenance of a Secret

Tohru's heart thudded wildly as she stared at the sheet of paper in her hand. _Please, everything's okay, please tell me everything's okay... _She glanced at the people around her. Most of them seemed considerably pleased with themselves while a considerable few looked absolutely devastated, and it was these few who Tohru focused on. Her forehead broke into a sweat. Finally, with a large, difficult gulp, she turned the paper around.

'YES!' she shrieked. 'I PASSED!' She sighed in relief as she scanned the various check marks running along the paper. That had been one really hard History test.

'I'm so proud of you, Tohru!' yelled Uo in delight, throwing her arms around Tohru's neck. Then she grabbed the test paper. 'Hey, wait, what was your answer to the one about industrial disadvantages to–'

'I never doubted you,' said Hana, patting Tohru's head gently.

'How did you do, Miss Honda?' Yuki came up behind them, clutching his paper in a roll.

'I lost just three marks!' squealed Tohru in ecstasy. 'What about you, Yuki? I bet you scored full marks! You did, after all, help me with this chapter.'

'Oh, it was no problem. I didn't get full marks. But congratulations to yours, though.'

'Tohru! You passed?' Kyo bounded over a desk to her. She grinned in answer. 'Great! Maybe you can help me understand everything on the whole industrial wages deficiency thing...'

'You screwed up on that too? Man, I _hate_ that question,' grumbled Uo loudly.

'Oh, I'm not good in teaching!' replied Tohru apologetically. 'But perhaps Yuki could help you...'

At once Tohru regretted her words. It was as if an icy wind passed between the two boys; Kyo glared with narrowed eyes at Yuki, who stared back with the same intensity.

'I'd prefer _you_ help me, Tohru,' said Kyo through clenched teeth.

'I have better things to do than to make this idiot stupider than he already is,' whispered Yuki coldly.

'You know, I'd be insulted by that comment,' said Uo skeptically, 'because he's confused about the same part as I am, but I'll let it be. Something's _up_ with you two these days.' She rested a hand upon her hip. 'I thought you two had cooled it with the arguing a long time ago, and now you're at it again like a cat and a mouse!'

'I quite agree...' mumbled Hana. Kyo and Yuki glanced at Uo, then returned to one another's visual challenge.

'You two wouldn't happen to be fighting over Tohru, now would you?' asked Uo slyly. 'I mean, her being Kyo's girlfriend and all...'

Tohru's eyes automatically met Kyo's, and he gazed down at her warmly. Yuki seemed to stiffen, regarded Uo with one expressionless glance, then whipped around and strode out of the classroom.

'Okay, so it _is_ about Tohru...' finished Uo with a small shrug.

'Damn rat...' muttered Kyo.

Tohru could only feel utmost guilt. She hadn't really talked to Yuki about his opinion on Kyo being her... her... Tohru mouthed the word when she found she couldn't quite say it properly inside her head. 'Boyfriend' sounded still too strong a word to describe Kyo's current position in her life. Probably she had to yet get used to the fact that they were now a certified couple, with the one exception being that hardly anyone in the school besides Uo, Hana, and Yuki, had any knowledge of it. Or at least she thought so.

'What? Kyo has a _girlfriend_?' asked several shocked voices.

'You _do_?'

'I never knew you had it in you, Kyo! Who's the girl? _Is_ it Tohru?'

'Who is it?'

'KYO… TELL US…'

Tohru, feeling greatly overwhelmed by the crowd of faces slowly clustering around her, suddenly felt a powerful grip on her hand and she found herself being pulled through the numerous bodies, and at once different shouts and exclamations bounced off her head.

'Hey, what –?'

'Kyo, you can't run away forever!'

'You're _blushing_, Kyo!'

'I KNEW IT! You two _are_ –!'

'Isn't that absolutely adorable–?'

Tohru burst out of the classroom, but she continued being tugged into running. She looked up, seeing Kyo's hard, flushed face, beads of sweat sprinkled across his forehead, and –she couldn't control herself– giggled. He glanced back at her with a questionable expression, but didn't slow his pace.

'K-Kyo, where are we going?' Tohru managed to ask.

'Somewhere where no one can find us and where we can talk a bit,' he curtly replied. 'Why are you laughing?'

Tohru couldn't stop from grinning just then. She stared helplessly and apologetically at Kyo. 'I'm sorry, it's rude of me to laugh at you like that. You just look so... _frustrated! _I've never seen you so harassed around people, and it just made me laugh how you reacted! I'm sorry, I knew I shouldn't have laughed. But your reaction was so... _sweet_, and it just seemed funny because you reacted the way you did!'

_'Sweet_?' repeated Kyo, slowing down.

'Oh! Did that offend you? I'M SO SORRY...' There, once again, Tohru's voice trailed into silence as she saw Kyo gazing at her with such great intensity. He always looked at her like that, as if nothing mattered to him more than staring into her eyes. Not that she had anything to complain about, of course; she felt a shiver of pleasure and awe whenever those burgundy orbs glistened with the reflection of her own.

'MISS HONDA!'

Tohru turned around in surprise, hardly aware of Kyo's hold on her hand tightening. Yuki was walking towards them at an unusually fast pace, and his face wore an agitated frown. Tohru thought she heard a small growl from Kyo, but as she glanced back at him his face was impassive.

'Hi, Yuki!' she greeted him, then she remembered his previous departure from the classroom. 'Are you feeling all right?'

'I'm fine,' he quietly answered, 'but I need to speak with you.'

'Oh, I–'

'_I_ was going to talk to her, Yuki,' snapped Kyo angrily.

Yuki stared coldy but patiently. 'I won't take long,' he whispered.

'Kyo?' said Tohru, pleadingly looking back at him. 'He said he won't take long. Why don't we hear what he has to say? Please?'

Before he could reply, although his suspiciously narrow eyes already said his answer, Yuki stepped closer and said, 'Tohru, I just want to ask if it's all right with you that I tell someone about this... relationship between you two.'

'Who're you planning to tell?' demanded Kyo abruptly.

Yuki frowned, as if pondering whether to reply or not. 'No one in the family,' he finally sighed.

'Who then?' pushed Kyo. 'There's no one else left to tell in the school, since they all probably know by now. So who are you going to tell, damn rat, and why? Your darling Aki–'

'No,' hissed Yuki, folding his arms. 'Listen, if you must know, I can't keep this a secret for long, you know that. Even if I _were _to tell Akito, for sure he would've already known from someone else. But what I'm trying to say is that I can tell a certain person about it who, if I'm correct, will prevent the news from ever reaching Akito, or at least will help in prolonging the time until he finds out.'

'But surely Shigure, Hatori, Ayame, and the rest won't tell Akito?' asked Tohru, puzzled.

'I'm not even sure if they know,' answered Yuki curtly. 'But when they do, trust me, one of them will tell. Most probably Shigure.'

'Why are you even telling us this, Yuki?' asked Kyo suspiciously.

'Because I care for Miss Honda's safety,' Yuki replied flatly. He looked at her and gave out a small, frustrated sound. 'Anyway,' he continued, ignoring Kyo's disbelieving look, 'I'm certain this person can help. I can't tell you who it is, but I promise you she _will _help.'

oOo

Akito watched a falling cherry blossom, floating in the cool air and then landing softly on his outstretched hand. He crushed it between his fingers. 'How did you come to know of this, Kureno?' he demanded quietly.

Kureno stood behind, quiet for a brief moment then answering obediently, 'Shigure told me.'

'And he is certain about it?'

'Yes.'

Akito pulled up the sleeve of his kimono and raised a hand. 'Help me up, Kureno.' Kureno stepped forward and took Akito's hand, slowly lifting him up from the polished wooden ground. 'Hm,' continued Akito, 'I wonder what Shigure thinks he'll get out of this by revealing such an important secret. It's quite amusing, don't you agree, for it to be true that the filthy _cat _loves someone? And for him to be loved back, by a girl just as disgraceful as he? We must congratulate the two. But, wait, this can't be ignored, oh _no_. They must be punished for keeping it from me. And the cat must be punished even more for lying to me about his true feelings.'

'What do you plan to do, Akito?' asked Kureno, his voice neutral.

'Not what you're expecting, that's for sure. But I'm going to give them exactly what they deserve all the same. For now, let's keep it a _secret_. I don't wish to be a person to spoil their fun...'

oOo

'Tell me again, Shigure, why you would do such a thing?' demanded Hatori softly. 'And to Tohru? I thought you had enough morals to keep you sane. But this is going too far.'

Shigure sighed and twirled the telephone cord absently. 'I had to. She'd be in worse trouble if Akito doesn't know. I'd rather she be hurt by a single person than by millions of others.'

'What are you _talking _about?'

'Do you not know the pain one can go through in a relationship with a _Sohma_, Hatori? The perpetual disability to hold the body physically can be mentally _destructive_. And if anyone else were to find out about the curse, what of the humiliation, embarrassment, the _rupture _of the relationship? No one would be able to survive that, Hatori. At least the things Akito will do wouldn't be as bad.'

'Yes, I understand that Shigure, but remember this, even the things Akito does can be _worse _than the problems with other people. He couldn't just hurt you physically. He could _kill _you, both physically as well as mentally. Look at what Yuki had to go through, and that was just him. What now, with _Tohru's _life hanging alongside _Kyo's_? At least, if anything happened to them during the course of their relationship outside, they could still move on together. Akito could separate them for good. It had always been his plan to take away Kyo and, when Tohru came along, to remove her from the Sohmas completely. News of their relationship could make it easier for him to do just that.'

'And what do you want me to do?' asked Shigure, feeling only too guilty now that Hatori had voiced his opinions. 'I can't change the fact that Akito knows now. You know, you could've told me this sooner.'

'That can't be helped. The only thing Kyo and Tohru would have to do is run away. Escape from Akito before he does anything. But what I do want you to do is tell them what you did. But don't bother 'helping' them any further, Shigure. You've already done the worst you could do.'


	5. Assistance to Conflict

The Fifth Continuing Chapter- Assistance to Conflict

It had been three weeks, to be exact, since _that _fateful day. Three weeks, during which he had spent the happiest of moments with Tohru, thought Kyo, with a slight disbelieving nod of his head. And now, as he looked up at her, seated at her desk, her nose almost touching the sheet of notepad paper upon which she wrote the beginning of an essay, he felt a hard tug on his heart. And he had felt this painful sensation for the past few days now. Due to a source he couldn't figure out, he was overwhelmingly disturbed. Tohru glanced sideways at him, as if sensing his uneasiness.

'Kyo is something wrong?' she asked in concerned alarm, still holding fast to her blue ball-point pen.

He shrugged. 'I keep thinking there is. It's like that feeling you get when you think you're going to fail in a test, only worse. I think something bad is going to happen. I don't know, maybe I'm just imagining it. But I just feel so... _anxious_.'

'Something bad?' she repeated, her soft brown eyes widening. 'Like what?'

Kyo looked around her room in thought, and then shrugged once again. 'I don't know. But it's a really strong feeling, like a _gut _feeling. I just _know _something bad is going to happen, but what annoys me is that I don't know _what_.'

'Oh...' she said quietly. 'Do you want to talk about this feeling? Maybe I won't understand it, but I can try to.'

He shook his head. 'No, I don't want to disturb you in your essay. You said you wanted to finish it today, so don't let something like a gut feeling I have stop you.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, yes. Besides, I'm not done reading this yet.' Kyo patted the thick hard-bound book on his lap. It was supposedly educational, given by Uo, who had insisted that 'you'll understand everything with this! Screw the disadvantages of industrial deficiency wages thing! With this baby you'll know the entire industry of _Europe _itself!' Kyo frowned and for the umpteenth time read the summary of the book's contents on its back. He was already halfway through the book, but he still couldn't understand a single printed word it said. 'I hate history,' he grumbled.

Tohru giggled. 'I'm sure you'll get by! You _did _manage to pass the previous test, after all.'

'Yeah, 'cause that didn't include the whole story of how England's citizens got their first paychecks. Uo actually expects me to read all this?'

'She's only trying to help. And I don't think–'

There were several knocks on the door just then. Kyo got up from Tohru's bed before Tohru herself stood up, and strode towards the door. He grasped the handle and swiftly turned it to pull the door open. He stared in surprise at Shigure, who stood before him with a tight lip, eyes full of evident guilt.

'Good afternoon, Shigure!' greeted Tohru politely. 'Do you need anything?'

'Yes,' he replied, his voice unusually serious. 'I need to tell you two something very important.'

oOo

Mayuko Shiragi had been wearily wafting through the pages of the notebook in which she kept notes of each class's lesson when she heard a polite knock on the door of her office and looked up to see Yuki Sohma's silver head peep in slowly.

'Do you need something, Sohma?' she asked, surprised at his unexpected visit. He bit his bottom lip as though unsure, then he nodded.

'Can I come in?' he asked. At the welcoming gesture of the teacher's hand, he allowed his feet a few steps into the room and he closed the door silently behind him.

'So what is it?' asked Mayu, nodding her head at the wooden chair in front of her desk.

'I have a large favor to ask of you, Miss Shiragi,' replied Yuki, as he gingerly walked forward and sat down.

'Which is…?'

'Well…' said Yuki, hesitating. Mayu, not wishing to be in the midst of an awkward silence –especially since she always seemed to be experiencing one whenever in the presence of a Sohma; with a shudder she tried to clear her mind of Shigure's taunting face and Hatori's all too serious expression– cleared her throat.

'Please hear me out, Miss Shiragi,' continued Yuki hurriedly, 'before you say no to anything. This favor I ask of you doesn't exactly include me or the benefit of anything _I_ myself need…'

'Then you're wasting my time, Sohma,' interrupted Mayu, 'if this has nothing to do with you. If a friend of yours wants my help, he'll have to ask it from me personally, sorry.'

'But you're the only one who can help!'

'In what way? What is this problem that only _I_ can fix? What is it in consideration of?'

'Listen, Miss Shiragi.' Yuki leaned closer and stared at her determinedly. 'You can help because I know you're at least in some close terms with Shigure.'

This comment struck Mayu unexpectedly and harshly. She glared at Yuki, but he rapidly continued, 'I know for a fact that you're Kana's best friend, Hatori's girlfriend before… before she got married. My brother Ayame told me,' he added, seeing Mayu's mouth open in obvious question. 'And you were there when she and Hatori went through a… difficult time together. I need your help because my cousin Kyo and Tohru Honda are about to go through the same thing.'

Mayu closed her mouth in surprise and confusion. 'What do you mean… the same thing?' Of course, she knew perfectly well what the 'thing' was. It couldn't be any other. It was clear from Yuki Sohma's dour expression and his words that the hard-edged Kyo Sohma boy had gotten together with Tohru Honda, and one of them was now going to get hurt. _Just like Kana and Hatori_… Mayu thought grimly. No, wait; could it really be the same thing? Was Kyo going to be blinded in one eye, and Honda her memories erased? Suddenly, Mayu felt sick; the painful recollection of Kana crying in desperate guilt in her arms, of the personal worry for Hatori's wound and his ruined future with Kana… it was too much for Mayu to handle. She stood up briskly but weakly.

'One moment, Sohma,' she whispered, holding up a finger to keep Yuki silent.

Now that the painful memories had returned, Mayu was beginning to wonder about other things, things she hadn't thought about for a long time. She never really knew who hurt Hatori's eye –she was certain it was a person– and, as she looked at the boy before her staring with puzzled eyes, she decided that this unknown person must be the source of their conversation. All right, so Kyo Sohma and Tohru Honda needed help, but why? Perhaps they needed to get to something, or rather, get _away_ from something… or _someone_…

'This person is going to hurt them, am I correct?' she demanded quietly. 'This person who hurt Hatori.'

Yuki nodded in agreement and understanding. Mayu felt grateful for not having to give an explanation for her words. She sat down again and exhaled a long sigh. 'What exactly do you want _me_ to do about it?' she asked despairingly.

'I trust Shigure, but I know for some stupid reason he's going to tell the person about Kyo and Miss Honda's present relationship. As for Hatori and Ayame, well, I know my brother won't, but Hatori is faithful to this person…'

'So you're asking me to tell them _not_ to say anything?'

'With all due respect, Miss Shiragi,' said Yuki Sohma, 'yes, I do.'

Mayu regarded the boy for a moment. She couldn't just tell Shigure and the other two what to do and what not to do; this was their business, the _Sohma's_ business, after all. Let them do as they please. On the other hand, thought Mayu with a small shake of her head, she didn't want people to suffer like how Kana and Hatori suffered. Kana had been able to meet someone else and even get married, but Mayu knew it was a mere lucky turn of fate that it happened. As for Hatori, he was still single, she heard. The love that they had shared was something Mayu was still hoping for. And this love could be present between Kyo Sohma and Tohru Honda. How could Mayu remain contented, standing aside as the love these youngsters perhaps shared was broken for eternity by a person potential of doing so?

'All right,' she said grimly. 'I'll do it.'

oOo

Tohru screamed as Shigure hurtled across the room and slammed against the opposite wall. She stared in horror as he feebly clutched his face, where Kyo had laid his fist, thick drops of blood trickling down his chin like tears.

'Are you okay?' she asked hysterically, her feet unable to move.

'Leave the bastard alone, Tohru,' snapped Kyo, his fist still raised high in the air. 'He deserved what he got.'

'But–!'

'No, he's right, Tohru,' muttered Shigure, slowly getting up from the ground. 'I deserved that punch.' He held his jaw, but his nose continued to bleed freely.

'Don't start with your noble act, Shigure,' said Kyo angrily. 'You think you deserved _that_? What you deserve is to go to hell!'

'Kyo…' whispered Tohru weakly, but he ignored her.

'Telling Kureno about us? I just _knew_ something felt wrong! Damn, Shigure, I didn't think you'd ever stoop that low! What did you want out of it anyway? A little respect from Akito, maybe? To be his loyal _servant_? What was it, Shigure? TELL US WHAT!'

'YOUR SAFETY!' yelled Shigure. 'I did what I did because I wanted to protect you two from experiencing worse outcomes!'

'Did it ever occur to you that we didn't _need_ protection?' shouted Kyo. Tohru could only watch the two of them with doleful fear; even arguments between Kyo and Yuki had never been this heated. 'Did you even think of _asking_ us before you went and told him? What _happened_ to you?'

'I-I don't know…' moaned Shigure, staggering to one side. Tohru couldn't stand the sight of his blood any longer; she shot Kyo an apologetic glance and then she strode towards Shigure.

'Lift your head up, Shigure,' she said quickly, pushing his forehead back. 'It'll stop the bleeding at least… and hold your nose too…' He shook his head.

'I'll be fine, Tohru. Don't be bothered.'

Tohru stared at him with wide-eyed concern, but nevertheless gave a slight nod. 'At least let me call Hatori, please, Shigure.'

He could only smile in reply. Tohru painfully smiled back, and, with one last glance at Kyo's hard expression, headed out of her bedroom.

She was indeed thankful to finally get away from the tense atmosphere, but then she felt rather unnerved by the sudden silence that followed her. Looking back over her shoulder, at the portion of the room she could see through the open door, she realized neither Kyo nor Shigure was saying anything. Well, at least Kyo wasn't hitting anymore. _Oh… _Tohru thought tenderly. She wondered how much pain he was going through now; how much _Shigure_ was going through now; how much pain she herself didn't seem to be feeling. Sure, what Shigure had confessed bothered her to the bone, but there was still hope, wasn't there? Kureno wouldn't tell Akito, would he? _Maybe he already did_, she thought suddenly, and she broke into a panic. Okay, she was feeling more pain than she believed. If Akito knew, what would happen? _Oh no… Kyo would be hurt! Akito would hurt Kyo, and, and, Kyo wouldn't be able to do anything about it… it would be my entire fault… I _have_ to do something!_

She clenched her fists in determination, and she reached the telephone. Dialing Hatori's office number, which she had made a point to memorize, she carefully pondered on her plan to thwart Akito's own plan, whatever it was, or at least to prevent him from hurting Kyo. After the third ring, Hatori picked up.

'Hello?'

'Hatori? It's Tohru. I'm sorry to be disturbing you at this time, but Shigure's hurt, and… will you please come and see him? It might be serious…'

'I'll be right over.'

Before she could voice her thanks, he put down the phone.

_How can I do this? How can I go against Akito? What would he do if he found out I was going to do that? Maybe we _should_ run away, like what Shigure said… _Trying to listen to all of her thoughts at the same time, Tohru turned to head for the kitchen. _Some ice is sure to stop Shigure's nosebleed… _

Suddenly, the corridor echoed with a loud, rapping sound. A tingle of fear shot along Tohru's spine before she realized someone was knocking on the main door. It was soon determined by the _ding-dong _of the doorbell that followed the rapping noise later.

'Tohru! The door…' came the voice of Shigure.

'That must be Hatori!' cried Tohru, immediately comforted by the sound of someone speaking. She ran towards the main door and quickly slid it open.

'Ha–!' she began, and then stopped in shock. Standing there was Hatori, indeed, but Tohru was staring at the two people behind him.

'Hey,' greeted Hatsuharu with a small wave. He glanced at the woman standing next to him with a slight apprehensive frown. Tohru blinked to see if whether that woman was really who she thought she was.

'Miss Shiragi?' she said in disbelief. 'What are you doing here? I mean, how rude of me, come in, please!'

Her teacher, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail as always, smiled briefly then pushed past Hatori. He only raised an eyebrow.

'Where's Shigure?' he asked coolly.

'Here I am!' sang Shigure, appearing with a still-seething Kyo following behind him. Shigure's eyes fell on Mayu Shiragi. 'Mayu!' he said joyfully. 'How absolutely unexpected of you to come, and at such a late hour too! Were you worried about me? My, I'm flattered…'

'Save it, Shigure,' she snapped. Tohru instantly felt as if a cold breeze had passed between the two adults. 'I'm not here for you. Although I do wonder what happened to your face…'

'Bad Kyo hit me!' whined Shigure.

'WITH GOOD REASON!' yelled Kyo behind him, and he looked as if he would have hit Shigure again if he hadn't suddenly noticed Hatsuharu staring at him. 'What the hell are you doing here?'

'I have bad news,' was the reply.

'And it seems as if Mayu also has something important to talk about,' said Hatori, walking up to Shigure and examining his bruised, bleeding face. 'Don't you, Mayu?'

She pursed her lips into a tight line and nodded.

'Well,' said Tohru suddenly, with a bright smile, trying to lighten the evidently edgy atmosphere, 'if we're all going to be talking, why don't you go to the dining room while I go and make some tea?'

'That would be nice,' said Shigure, grinning widely.

'Let's go then,' agreed Hatsuharu.

Tohru watched all of them head for the dining room, and then she herself started for the kitchen. She felt a hold on her hand.

'Tohru…' said Kyo quietly. He pulled her hand until she faced him. 'Are you all right?'

'Yes! Are you?'

He shook his head and groaned. 'I'm sorry if I upset you about the whole hitting Shigure thing. I'm just really mad at him for… doing what he did.'

'Oh, all right…' Tohru began to feel quite uncomfortable. She was wondering if she should tell Kyo about her plan to go against Akito… well, he _was_ her boyfriend after all, and she trusted him completely, and he was a part of this in any case… 'Kyo?' she whispered. 'Um…'

'Hm?' He stepped closer. But before Tohru could say anything else, he brought his lips down onto hers. She stiffened at the sudden kiss at first, and then she slackened. She still hadn't gotten used to the feeling of it. It always felt indescribably wonderful. Finally, Kyo pulled back. 'Sorry,' he said softly. 'I couldn't resist. What were you going to say?'

'D-Do you… do you think…' Tohru cleared her throat; she was blushing profusely, 'is there any way for Akito to perhaps _not_ do anything?'

'I think you should listen to what I have to say before you think of that,' said a voice from aside. Both Tohru and Kyo turned their heads to look at Hatsuharu, who was gazing at them with mild intensity. 'You're thinking of going against Akito, aren't you, Tohru. Well, hear this. You won't have to.'


	6. Bear to Resolve

The Sixth Continuing Chapter- Bear to Resolve

Hatsuharu looked around at the five faces that stared at him with the same disbelieving expression, and impulsively repeated his words: 'You heard me. Akito's not going to do anything about these two.'

'What do you mean _not going to do anything_?' echoed Kyo, glancing at Tohru beside him, who bit her lip. 'How do you know this, Haru? And how do you know about… about us?'

'Simple, heard it from the rest of the school. And to the other question, I was at the main house to give Akito a piece of my mind for hurting Rin, and I overheard the servants talking about you two. Saying stuff like 'the master isn't planning to do anything' and 'I think he's not feeling himself; he seems rather happy for the two', something like that. So I left the house to tell you guys. But sorry only now I'm telling this; I went to check on Rin, but couldn't find her.'

'Rin is hurt?' asked Tohru in alarm.

'Long time issue,' replied Hatsuharu with a small shrug. 'Anyway, yeah, that's how I found out. Looks like you two are safe.'

'That's highly unlikely,' said Hatori grimly.

'How come you never said anything in school then?' demanded Kyo suddenly, 'if you knew all this time.'

'Was too lazy to.'

'Don't be so negative, Hatori.' Shigure gently patted the thick piece of cloth bandaged across his nose and shook his head. 'If Akito's not going to do anything, then these two lovebirds are as free as the species they are! You should be happy for them!'

'You should be the one to be happy!' snapped Kyo. 'You going and telling Akito about us, it should only be RIGHT that he doesn't do anything!'

'Oh…' said Hatsuharu in amusement, 'so _Shigure_ is the one who told Akito…'

'You did?' gasped Mayu Shiragi, speaking for the first time. She whirled her head around to face Shigure. 'B-But, that can't be! No, no, _NO…_'

'_How_ and _why_ does that concern you?' he demanded softly with raised eyebrows.

'Oh yes, Miss Shiragi, you had something important to tell us?' said Tohru.

The teacher shut her mouth tightly. 'Uh…' she finally spluttered. 'Well, I came here because… well, for _that_ reason exactly.' She pointed a finger at Shigure accusatively. 'I was to tell you _not_ to tell Akito, whatever his name is, about Kyo Sohma and Tohru Honda!'

'Why do a thing like that?' asked Hatsuharu, frowning. He absently scratched the back of his white head. 'No offense or anything, seeing as you're a teacher and all, but this isn't really your business.'

'Nor is it yours,' retorted Kyo. Haru merely stared at him blankly.

'I'll explain some other time,' said Mayu in exasperation. 'It's a long, emotional story. But in any case, I won't _have_ to explain, as now I am here for no completely reasonable reason whatsoever!'

'Well, you can't leave, Mayu,' said Hatori matter-of-factly. 'You're part of this now.'

Mayu stared at him incredulously. Much to everyone's surprise, excluding Shigure, tears began welling up in her eyes. 'How can you have the _nerve_ to say it just like that?' she cried. '_I'm part of this now?_ You know, there's no need for you to tell me such things, Hatori. I've been a part of this my entire _life_. I'm here because I don't want these two to go through the same things as you and Kana did! You know the pain _I_ felt to see my _best_ _friend_ in that state? Yeah, you would know. You loved her!'

Hatori only gazed at her, seemingly apathetic, but his eyes narrowed as if with deep and painful thought.

'D-Do you want us to leave?' asked Tohru timidly. She, Kyo and Hatsuharu took a few cautious steps back.

'No, it's all right.' Hatori shook his head. He stood up, helped Mayu to her feet, and the both of them went out of the room.

At first, silence was all that surrounded them. Then, after a moment's hesitation, Kyo spoke up, 'She and Kana were best friends?'

'When?' wondered Hatsuharu.

'Never mind, you kids,' said Shigure, waving a hand carelessly. 'This is an issue for the adults. I suggest you better get some sleep. It's probably past eleven already, and it's a school night!'

'Do you know what the matter with Miss Shiragi is, Shigure?' asked Tohru, cocking her head to one side in concern.

Shigure gave her a small smile. 'No, but I'm sure she'll be all right soon enough. She and Hatori are rather close, as you know now, so I expect they'll talk things over.'

oOo

Kureno gazed at Akito, puzzled yet distinctively afraid to ask. 'Are you not going to do _anything_? The servants have been –'

'Like I said,' interrupted Akito coolly, resting a slim finger on his bottom lip, 'what I'm going to do is something you're not expecting. As for the servants, let them say what they wish. For certain dear Hatsuharu has heard something from them, and he's bound to spill the beans as well. Pathetic insolents can't keep their mouths shut for their own good. But, it's probably all for the better. At least, Kyo and that _girl_ would be left thinking I'm not going to do anything.'

'You mean you _told_ the servants your plan?'

'More in a passing comment. I knew they couldn't resist a good gossip about this. Fools,' he added with disgust.

'I don't mean to pry, Akito, but _what_ exactly are you planning to do? What is _in_ this plan of yours?'

Akito smiled nastily. 'As I said before as well: I don't want to be the kind to spoil their fun. So I myself am not going to do anything whatsoever. I'll let them do everything. For once, _I'm_ not going to hurt them. With just a little assistance from certain individuals, _they'll be the ones to hurt each other_.'

Kureno didn't join in on Akito's maniacal laughter.

oOo

'What are you going to do now?' asked Mayu faintly, wiping away the last of her tears. She shook her head at Hatori's attempt to do it himself, a white handkerchief in hand. 'What's going to happen to them?'

'I shouldn't be concerned with them if I were you,' answered Hatori flatly. 'I know I said you're a part of this now, but it seems to me you're the one who needs care.'

'I don't–' she began, and then hesitated. A large, strange lump formed within her throat, and she swallowed it with extreme difficulty. She felt like crying again. At that feeling, she looked at Hatori heatedly. 'No, I don't,' she said. '_They_ need care, those two. I don't know who this Akito is or what he does, but all I'm certain of is that he's about to hurt them as much as he hurt you and Kana. So don't you dare tell me that I need care, Hatori. If it doesn't matter to you what happens to them, then I think you're the one who needs care the most.'

Hatori looked at her with those expressionless, penetrating eyes of his. _Damn_, thought Mayu, biting her lip, _why is he so handsome? How ironic; I'm here, in his home, and if it had been a few months ago I would have jumped to tell him how I feel about him. But now is a different time. What I feel for him isn't important. _'Their lives are important,' she whispered. _He still loves Kana. I could never do that to her. Nor could I put such a burden as another's love on him. I'd be a fool to do so…_

'I'm sorry,' he said quietly, 'if you think that whatever happens to them doesn't matter to me. But I assure you, it does, deeply.'

'What are you going to do?' inquired Mayu once again.

'I don't know,' he replied sincerely, after a second's thoughtful silence. 'I really don't know.'

oOo

'Tohru, what do you think we should do?' asked Kyo, conscious of the hint of fear in his voice. 'We can't just _run away_, like Shigure said.'

He and Tohru were in the corridor leading up to Tohru's bedroom; he had steered her away the moment Hatsuharu had left the house. He clutched her hand tightly, and he could just make out the small bow of her head in the dim light.

'I thought that I could stop him,' she whispered dully. 'I thought that if he was going to take you away, I'd try and stop him.'

'What?' Kyo stopped in his tracks. 'Listen, even if he was going to take me away, he'd have to tear my heart into pieces first. I'm never, _ever_, leaving you, and if that's a part of any of Akito's plans, then he's going to have to reconsider them.'

'That sounded really corny, stupid cat,' said a soft voice in front of them.

'Why does everyone keep interrupting us?' demanded Kyo in frustration, staring into the dimness before growling at Yuki's approach.

'Yuki!' exclaimed Tohru in surprise. 'When did you get here? I mean, you've been in the house all this time? But then how come –?'

'I just arrived, Miss Honda,' replied Yuki, 'a few minutes before Hatsuharu left. I passed him on his way to the front door.'

'Where have you been?'

'School council meeting, I forgot to tell you earlier. I'm sorry if my absence worried you.'

'As if,' retorted Kyo. He tugged lightly on Tohru's hand. 'Come on, let's go…'

'Wait,' said Tohru, frowning. 'Shouldn't we tell Yuki about… about the discussion downstairs?'

Yuki shook his silvery head. 'No, it's all right. Haru told me everything. Oh yes, I was the one who asked Miss Shiragi to make sure Shigure or the others don't say anything, but–'

'She didn't exactly succeed now, did she,' snapped Kyo. 'I have to ask you again, damn rat, why do you care what happens to me and Tohru, most of all, _me_? You hate me, I'm your rival, and I understand that you care for Tohru but would you exactly care enough to go against your hatred for me?'

'I did, didn't I?' replied Yuki coldly. 'I, as you put it, went against my hatred for you in asking Miss Shiragi the favor. And to answer your question, I do not _care_ for you in any way whatsoever. To put myself on your level? Ha! And I thought you knew how much I hate you. I guess I really shouldn't overestimate people like you.'

'STOP IT, PLEASE, BOTH OF YOU!' cried Tohru, flinging herself in between Yuki and Kyo, who stood ready to pounce. She kept her hands on each of the boy's chests to keep them apart.

'Tohru, are you _listening_ to what he's saying?' Kyo stared at the icy eyes that held his gaze. 'He's gone mental!'

'Speak for yourself, _cat_! Cowering behind Miss Honda like that, it's almost certain to me you're experiencing a breakdown!'

'Please…' Tohru moaned. The palms of her hands resting on their chests rose until the fingers rested on them, pushing the two further apart, if possible.

'And who wouldn't, you idiot!' yelled Kyo. 'If you were in my place, in _our_ place, you wouldn't know what to do either!'

'Of course I would know!' Yuki shot back. 'Unlike you, I'd go face Akito myself!'

'You wouldn't know how to face him even if he came and insulted you right now! You wouldn't even know _what_ an insult was!'

'You're describing yourself, you realize that.'

'DAMN RAT! You think you have the guts to face _Akito_?'

'More than you, that's for sure! You can't even mention him without showing fear on your face! And you didn't even go through the things _I_ did with him!'

'I'm only afraid because Tohru's involved!'

'She's _always_ been involved, you stupid cat!'

'That was before I cared and fell in love with her!'

At these words, Yuki fell silent, and it was then that Kyo noticed Tohru, knelt on the ground with her hands covering her face. Her hair lay scattered about her shoulders, which were shaking uncontrollably. Kyo immediately dropped down onto his own knees.

'Tohru, what's wrong?' he demanded, knowing all too well what was wrong. He gently pulled a hand away from her face. Tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks. 'I'm sorry… I lost control…'

'I-I…' she spluttered, in between sobs. 'I-I f-feel…'

'What?' asked Yuki, squatting.

Tohru gave out a loud sob, and she suddenly thrust forward.

'TOHRU!' cried Kyo, grabbing her shoulders and feeling hysteric panic fill his body. Her head lolled about freely, and her shoulders were no longer shaking. Kyo let go of one of her shoulders and with a finger he fearfully lifted Tohru's chin. Her eyes were closed, her face now ashen.

'TOHRU!'


	7. One Another's Sleep

The Seventh Continuing Chapter- One Another's Sleep

_'She'll be fine.'_

Hatori's words echoed in Kyo's mind like a persistent headache. He shook his head slowly, all the while determinedly fixing his gaze on Tohru's pale face.

'You're not going to be fine,' he whispered. 'You'll never be fine. Akito will try and find a way to hurt you, but I promise you, Tohru, _I will not let him_.'

His eyes traveled down her face, to her chest, which was now thankfully rising and falling as she breathed; to her slender arms, and down to her legs, covered by a thin, flowery blanket. He thought he had lost her. For a few, mind-numbing minutes he thought she was gone forever.

'She just fainted,' Hatori had declared, after rushing with Shigure to Kyo's frantic call. 'Perhaps to severe mental pain, I can't be certain. This whole situation must have stirred a great deal of emotion in her.'

'Will she be okay?' Kyo had demanded in wide-eyed terror.

'She'll be fine. All she needs is rest. Shigure, since we can't carry her for obvious reasons, bring her to her room on your back as a dog, you're the largest among us. Let her lie down, and she'll wake up soon enough. But I'm going back to get some depressants, just in case. Watch over her until I return. If she awakens before then…'

'I'll be there,' Kyo had said. And now, looking back up at her closed eyes, he repeated the words to himself. 'I'll be here, Tohru… I'll always be here…'

_'She'll be fine.'_

Kyo got up from the wooden chair he had placed next to Tohru's bed. She lay on one side, and he glanced at the spread of empty space beside her. Without a moment's hesitation he slowly crawled onto the bed and rested his head on the soft pillow alongside the one Tohru's own head lay on. His heartbeat quickened, and adrenaline pumped along his veins: the ecstatic feeling he always got whenever he was close by her. He raised a hand and gently placed it on her warm forehead, and then he trailed his fingers down strands of her silky hair. Glancing down, he noticed the narrow width of space that separated the two. Any closer he'd turn into an animal. A sudden idea struck him. He draped an arm around her, and instantly felt the familiar sensation of his transformation.

Once the colored clouds had dissipated, Kyo looked at his orange, cat paws. Then he slowly crept under Tohru's arm, which lay at her side, and he rested his head on her stomach. He purred in sorrow, and, looking at her face longingly, he let his eyes fall closed.

oOo

Shigure knocked on Tohru's door softly. Hearing no response, he opened the door wide enough for his head to fit through. The first thing he saw was Tohru, lying on her bed, still unconscious. But she was holding something. Shigure crept into the room, and he realized it was Kyo that was curled up in her arm. Shigure smiled wistfully. He could plainly see the orange tail entwined around Tohru's wrist.

'What are you doing in here?' asked Hatori quietly, appearing beside him.

'What does it look like? I'm checking to see if they're all right. Look at them… isn't that sweet?'

'It's a pity,' whispered Hatori. 'It must be painful for Kyo… he's only able to hold her when he's in his cat form.'

'So you must know how it feels like,' said Shigure, glancing sideways sympathetically.

'All too well,' replied Hatori tonelessly.

'Is Mayu still downstairs?'

Hatori nodded. 'She's apparently making up for Tohru's unconsciousness by cleaning the dishes.'

'Ah…'

The two men remained in silence for the next few moments, watching both girl and cat breathe in the same slow rhythm.

'How could I do this to them,' muttered Shigure, mostly to himself, but loud enough for Hatori to hear. 'How could I bring them to such pain? It's my fault Akito found out, and thus it was also my fault that Tohru fainted. I should've thought about their own feelings first before I said anything to Kureno. I should've known the agonizing pressure my action was going to bestow upon them.'

'There was no way you could have known.'

'But what Kyo said was right. I should have at least talked to them first. Now look at them. In Kyo's state they're hardly able to face their physical relationship alone, but with Akito's knowledge of it, they _both_ won't be able to face _life_ itself.'

'Shigure…'

'Hatori, what I did is probably the worst mistake I've ever committed.' Shigure folded his arms tightly, as if trying to hold in the emotion that was building up inside of him. Hatori could only gaze at him in silent understanding.

Suddenly Tohru gave a slight stir. At once the two men saw Kyo's head dart up alertly. The cat snaked out from under Tohru's arm and bounded up next to her head. Shigure could just see her eyes open.

'Kyo?' she murmured weakly.

'Are you feeling all right?' asked Kyo tenderly. He placed a paw on her shoulder blade.

'I'm a little dizzy… what happened? Why are you in your cat form?'

'Don't get up. You fainted outside in the corridor, after my fight with Yuki, remember? Shigure carried you to your bed in his dog form. I became a cat because… because… I tried to carry you myself.'

_And you wanted to remain by her side_, thought Shigure sadly. He and Hatori hadn't been noticed yet.

'Oh…' said Tohru faintly. She smiled at Kyo. 'Thank you for trying, though.' She let out a soft moan.

'Rest a little more,' said Kyo, touching her cheek with his small nose, 'you're still tired. Close your eyes, I'll just be here... beside you.'

'Okay…' whispered Tohru, dropping her head to the side where Kyo sat. She smiled, and her eyes fell once again. Kyo gazed at her, and he curled himself into a ball, his furry head just touching Tohru's face. His tail stopped its swaying motion after a few seconds, and it finally came to lie on Tohru's chest.

They were asleep.

'If his tail wasn't there,' whispered Shigure, grinning obtrusively, 'he'd turn back into his normal human state, and that would mean–!'

'I think we should leave them now,' interrupted Hatori, patting Shigure on the shoulder. 'Our presence is not needed anymore.'

Shigure shook his head in amusement. The two men quietly left the room, with Shigure closing the door behind them.

oOo

_They were running… running as fast as the wind that whipped against them. Their hands remained in a tight lock, although he had to repeatedly tighten his hold on her lest her growing weariness overcame the last of her strength. For no reason could they stop; none whatsoever, except if the reason was that they were unquestionably safe. But no, that reason seemed anywhere but near. They had to keep running. They were being chased. And in the long period that was to come, they were going to be caught. _

_Despite the insipid fact that any movement out of course would cost, at the least, a few seconds' running distance from their goal of reason, he turned his head around to look at her. She flashed him a wide, hopeful smile, but the smile he tried to return to her formed into a grimace. He could see the cracked surface of her lips, the agony in her eyes. How could he do this to her? She never deserved to be in such a painful state. To think that all he wanted to do was make her happy. But so far all he did was obliterate any feeling as such as happiness in her. If she wasn't smiling right now, he thought, for sure she'd be crying. _

_He looked away from her. He wanted dearly to stop, to push her beyond reach so she could escape to her safety. But fear or perhaps selfishness motivated his feet to keep running. No, he wasn't going to let go of her just like that. He needed her. He wanted her. And yet this desire felt so consciously wrong…_

oOo

_She was in a dark place. And this frightened her, as she could distinctly hear her raspy breathing and feel herself shaking, yet she could not see _herself_. She panicked when she looked at the mass of darkness that consumed her eyes from seeing her own two hands. Where was she? And why was she alone in this place? Wasn't he supposed to be next to her? _

_A light appeared from above her; she shielded her eyes from the sudden brightness, but she instantly felt comforted. Someone was calling her, from within the light above. A hand almost invisible amidst the radiant glow reached out to her, gesturing for her to take it. With utmost jubilance, she did, and screamed._

oOo

'Tohru, _TOHRU!_'

Tohru screamed, trying to ignore the voice that called out to her. 'NO!' she yelled, wildly thrashing her arms about to block the hold of the outstretched hand before her…

'Tohru! It's Kyo! Wake up, TOHRU!'

Her eyes shot open, and the light, the surrounding darkness, and the hand, disappeared. Tohru stared up at Kyo's handsome face, whose eyes and mouth stood gaping in concern.

'Are you okay?' he demanded, grasping her shoulders. It was then she noticed he wasn't a cat anymore. 'Did you have a nightmare or something? Tohru, tell me!'

'I-I…' she stuttered, a little dazed. It had only been a dream? It seemed so real; for a fluttering moment Tohru mistook the fluorescent lamp that hung from the ceiling above her for the mysterious light in her dream. 'I dreamt I was in this dark place. Then a light shone down on me, and someone began calling my name…'

'Who was it?'

'I-I don't know… it sounded like y-you, actually. Well, this person kept calling me, and then he reached out his hand to me from above. I'm not sure if it was the _person's_ hand, but the moment I took the hand, I screamed, but I don't know why. I think I saw that person's face or something, but for some reason I was a-afraid and didn't want to go to this person anymore… the hand kept trying to hold me… but, but…'

'It's okay, it's all right,' said Kyo soothingly, rubbing his hands along her arms. 'It was just a dream, and there's nobody here now but me, okay? Man, it was a good thing I woke you up. You were screaming and kicking like anything…' Tohru blushed and smiled at him sheepishly.

'Thank you, Ky– AH! I hope you waking me up didn't bother you, did it? I'm sorry! I-I… I promise not to have bad dreams anymore! I won't –'

'Idiot,' said Kyo, chuckling, and he playfully but gently hit the back of her head. 'You can't prevent yourself from having bad dreams. Just make sure you don't faint and scare me like that again.'

'I won't, I swear it! I will never, _ever_, faint again!'

Kyo grinned, and the hand that still held Tohru's arm slid up and behind to the nape of her neck. She could feel his fingers emit warmth, and she bit her lip hurriedly, flushing. _I think we're going to kiss again_, she thought disbelievingly. Sure enough, Kyo's face began moving ever so slowly towards her own. Tohru watched him in a jumbled mixture of emotion, and their lips met.

Tohru had never literally touched Kyo in the moments they kissed. It always seemed to be _him_ touching _her_, his hands on her face, her neck, arms, hands, and a portion of her waist. Tohru was afraid to touch him, for an answer she never did question. And now, as she savored the feeling of Kyo's mouth, she wondered whether he knew how she felt about it. What if he stopped kissing her because she never touched him?

With every bit of consciousness, she slowly lifted a hand and gently placed it on Kyo's shoulder. He responded by deepening the kiss.


	8. Hesitation

The Eighth Continuing Chapter- Hesitation

Mayu lifted an eye drowsily and saw a blurred, unfamiliar room. She let her eye fall again but, within a few hazy seconds, it dawned upon her, and both eyes shot open.

'GAH!' she yelled, struggling with the blanket that she hadn't known covered her, and she stumbled to her feet. 'I fell _asleep_? And _HERE_ of all places!'

'G'morning!' called a cheerful voice. Mayu looked up and glared at Shigure's toothy grin. He held out a cup of a steaming liquid. 'Tea?'

'Why did I fall asleep?' demanded Mayu, ignoring his offer. Then for a fleeting moment she wondered if he had changed her clothes, and, horrified, she rapidly glanced down at herself, at the same time flinging her arms up to cover her chest. She sighed on seeing the previous night's clothes and not –she shuddered at the thought– those of Shigure's, and she lowered her hands.

'Because you didn't leave,' he replied merrily. 'Not that I blame you, of course, it was rather late when you came last night. _And_ you fell asleep late too, around two in the morning…'

'You could have at _least_ given me another place to sleep instead of the floor!' It was then Mayu noticed a dull pain in her side. 'I have a _cramp_!'

'But you fell asleep there! You should be thankful that I at least gave you a blanket to keep you warm during the night. Women can be so ungrateful…'

'_Ungrateful_?' repeated Mayu indignantly. 'Now listen here you–!'

'Good morning, Shigure!' greeted Tohru, walking into the room with a mild glow on her face. 'Oh! Good morning, Miss Shiragi! What are you still doing here?'

'Tohru!' exclaimed both Shigure and Mayu. Mayu gazed at him irritably before facing Tohru again. 'Are you feeling better now?' she asked calmly.

'Yes, I am… thank you for asking. Um, seeing as you're here, would you like some breakfast? I'll be preparing oatmeal!'

'Come on, Mayu,' prodded Shigure childishly. 'You're here, so might as well take this opportunity to taste Tohru's delicious cooking! You won't regret it!'

Mayu gave out a loud, defeated groan. 'Oh, all right, fine. I'll stay for breakfast. But I'm leaving directly afterwards for home. I can't go to school looking like this!'

'Ah, I still have some of my old clothing, Miss Shiragi!' piped up Tohru. 'Some of them are rather big on me. You can borrow them, and _that_ way, we can all go to school together!'

'There's no way I'm leaving this house by myself, is there?' Mayu shook her head with a sigh at Shigure's mischievous grin. 'Well, all right then, Honda, I'll take your offer. Now that I think about it, I _did_ leave my things back there at the school anyway. But are _you_ in any state to even attend your classes, Honda?'

'I'm sure I am, Miss Shiragi. Don't worry about me, I do honestly feel fine!'

oOo

'Are you _sure_ you're okay?' asked Kyo in concern, turning around to face Tohru. 'You know you can stay home and rest. I'm worried about you… I don't want you fainting in school like last night.'

'I really am fine, Kyo!' answered Tohru, grinning to assure the frown on his face.

'It is a good thing you are, Honda,' said Miss Shiragi, 'because I wouldn't want to see you fall back in your studies.'

The three of them were walking their way to the school, with Miss Shiragi wearing one of Tohru's old T-shirts and jeans. She inspected herself warily, and she let loose her hair as if it would make up for her seemingly grungy attire.

They were still a long way off when they heard voices nearby. On turning a corner, to Kyo's annoyance and to Tohru's delight, they found the voices belonged to Kisa and Hiro.

'Sissy!' exclaimed Kisa happily, and she leaped into Tohru's embrace.

'_Whoop_,' said Hiro sarcastically, eyeing Tohru with raised eyebrows. His gaze turned to Miss Shiragi. 'Who are you? You don't _look_ like Tohru's mother. What, are you who she's working for as a maid? Or are you her _chaperone_ or something?'

'Hey, punk–!' began Kyo, but Miss Shiragi held up a hand which silenced him.

'No, I'm not,' she said coolly, 'although I should actually be _yours_, considering you don't seem to have any manners enough to speak to an adult like that. And considering that I don't know you and you don't know me, I suggest we keep it like that to avoid more inconveniences for ourselves.'

'Hiro, please apologize,' said Kisa faintly.

The boy narrowed his eyes peevishly. 'Sorry,' he mumbled. He took Kisa's hand reassuringly, and she smiled at him.

'Where are you two headed?' asked Tohru, stepping backwards.

'Tohru, they're wearing uniforms,' said Kyo, raising his eyebrows at her in amusement.

'Uniforms? OH! You're going to school, aren't you? We're going there, too! But, well, to _our_ school not yours…'

Kisa giggled. 'Sissy, I heard you and Kyo are going out together. And by that Hiro means you two are a couple. Are you two really?'

'EHHH?' gasped Tohru. 'G-Going out? Um, I, whatever do you mean?' She swayed to one side, and Kyo caught her head with his hand.

'Idiot,' he said gently. 'The whole Sohma family knows about us, don't you remember? Hey, punk, how'd you hear about it?'

'Everyone's talking about it.' Hiro gave a small shrug. 'As if it's _that_ interesting… I can't believe that you, of all people, would actually chuck away your _reputation_ as some big-shot bully and become your own contrary personality twin…'

'You're asking for it, you-you… _sheep_!' spat Kyo fumingly.

'Sheep?' repeated Miss Shiragi in surprise. 'That's all you can come up with, Sohma?'

'_Sheep_,' echoed Hiro thoughtfully, shaking his head and smirking obtrusively. 'That's something funny to tell Children's Aid…' Kisa patted his hand, eyes wide expectantly, and he glanced at her.

'Weren't you going to talk with Kyo about something, Hiro?' she asked timidly.

'Not now, Kisa…'

'Oh, by all means,' said Miss Shiragi loudly, tossing her head back, 'go right ahead.'

Kyo shot her a dirty glance. 'Sure, get rid of me just like that!'

'Hiro… you said it was important –'

'It's all right, Kyo!' exclaimed Tohru smilingly, 'we can wait while you two talk! We have a lot of time left.'

'_What?_' sputtered Kyo. 'You _want_ me to leave?'

'I don't _want_ to talk to him, Kisa!' cried Hiro, folding his arms.

oOo

Kyo groaned loudly as he followed Hiro until they were out of sight of the girls. Once Hiro seemed satisfied with their location, Kyo gave him a slight shove. 'Well? What'd you want?'

'What'd you push me for?' demanded Hiro angrily. 'I wasn't kidding about contacting Children's Aid you know. Do something like that again and I'm pretty sure you'll regret ever touching me. Anyway, I don't want to talk to you either. I'm only here because Kisa wanted me to.'

'And you listen to whatever your beloved says?'

'Don't you?' sneered Hiro.

Kyo clenched his teeth, trying to prevent the image of a smiling Tohru in his head from actually materializing into an obvious expression, but failing. 'Fine,' he hissed, flushing. 'What are you going to talk to me about?'

Hiro rolled his eyes. 'You _do_ know that Akito knows about you two, right? Otherwise, I think I'm just wasting my time–'

'Yeah, I do know,' answered Kyo darkly. 'What of it? Get to the point, dammit, I don't have all day.'

Hiro stepped closer until his head just stood below Kyo's. Kyo could almost see his reflection in the boy's sharp, piercing eyes. 'Then, in that case,' said Hiro brightly, 'you should know what you're doing to Tohru. You should have _some_ idea how much pain you're going to cause her. Did you even stop to realize that one day Akito's going to call you two to meet him? To call _her_ and meet him?'

'SHUT UP –!'

'When he hurt Kisa, I thought it was because of me!' continued Hiro, his expression distorting as if he was recollecting some painful memory. 'And I _still_ think it's because of me! I was afraid she wouldn't want to talk to me anymore, to play with me, or even see me ever again! She shut herself out completely, remember? I knew, I _know_, it's my fault.'

'Why the hell are you telling me this, Hiro?' demanded Kyo, feeling all too uncomfortable. 'I know the consequences, and I'm willing to face them. Unlike you, I'd do _anything_ to protect the one I love most.'

Hiro stared at Kyo defiantly, but then he nodded. 'Yeah… I didn't protect Kisa. But still, Kyo, if you want my opinion, I suggest you break it off with Tohru now before anything bad happens. Unless, of course, you'd rather she face Akito and get punished.'

'NO! I wouldn't….' Kyo's voice trailed off, and he looked away to avoid Hiro's penetrating stare, and instead focused his gaze on a particularly large crack on the wall beside him. Why was Hiro saying these words? He was just a kid, a punk kid; what would he know of feelings? He _said_ he loved Kisa, but, they being mere children, what would they know of love? _What do _I_ know of love?_ Kyo bit his lip at the mental question. From an outsider's view, Kyo knew he looked like a child himself in consideration to the feeling. Suddenly, Kyo remembered his dream.

It was almost the same situation, now that he thought about it. He was torn between walking along two difficult paths: he had to choose between letting Tohru go for her own sake, and sacrificing her to Akito's wrath. He couldn't choose both, that was for sure, but he couldn't pick one either. He didn't want to. Not in a perpetual period of time would he.

Tohru came into his sight in the distance. 'Are you two all right?' she asked loudly.

How beautifully, heart-breakingly innocent she looked, in her clean school uniform, her silky brown hair flowing about her shoulders as if it savored the feel of her body. How could he let go of her? She was his everything, and that mattered to him so much he didn't even wonder whether she felt the same about him. All he wanted was to be with her; who needed the world when she was always a breath's touch away?

And yet, he knew he had to detach himself from her completely. He loved her, and if that was true, then he'd have to be able to walk away. He wasn't the kind of boyfriend to hurt her, and nor was he the kind to drag her into pain that was meant for him.

'You can't let go of her, can you?' asked Hiro in a monotone. 'You're afraid you'll never be a whole person again.'

'I'm _not_ whole,' said Kyo, watching Tohru turn around. 'I haven't been whole since the time I found out Akito knew about us. I knew I'd never be whole again until I could feel the weight of knowing Tohru's life was in danger, was gone. I want her to be completely safe and happy. I can't let her go if that's not the case.'

'You and I are alike, then,' said Hiro in the same neutral tone, but his brow furrowed seemingly with intense physical emotion. 'You want to stay and protect that woman, and that's exactly why I try to be as close to Kisa as possible. At least you don't feel the _hopelessness_ I feel when I see her being teased. It's like I feel I can't do anything to make her stop feeling any pain.'

'Yeah, I feel that, too…' whispered Kyo, 'always.'

'But that woman isn't teased! Unlike Kisa, she's –!' Hiro stopped instantly on seeing a single tear roll down Kyo's cheek. For once, Hiro swallowed and kept his mouth shut. Kyo, however, shook his head.

'No, you go ahead and say what you want to say. I'm too depressed to do anything about it.'

Hiro looked at him oddly, as if he was seeing Kyo in a whole new different angle, but remained silent.

oOo

'Tohru, go and call them back,' ordered Miss Shiragi, stretching an arm to the sky.

'But maybe they're not done talking yet,' said Kisa softly. She held the straps of her small, leather backpack and gazed up at Tohru, who shrugged.

'I wonder what they're saying to each other right now,' Tohru said, and Miss Shiragi groaned loudly.

'Okay, kids, I'm going on ahead,' she declared, taking a few steps forward. 'I'm a teacher for _crying_ out loud, and as my duty I have to report early!'

'Oh, will you all right by yourself, Miss Shiragi?' asked Tohru in concern.

Her teacher replied with just a wave of her hand as she crossed the concrete road before them. Tohru turned to face Kisa. 'So, how are you and Hiro doing in school, Kisa?'

The girl gave her a small smile. 'I'm doing much better, now. Hiro is also doing well, he said. But I don't know, Sissy. He's been acting a bit… _different_ somehow.'

'Different? You mean like he's not himself anymore?'

'Well, not really like that. He just seems like he's keeping something from me. Maybe it's just my imagination. But he was so quiet yesterday. He almost bumped into a pole when we were on our way home! That was when he told me he wanted to talk to Kyo about something.'

'Did he tell you what about?'

'No… just that it was important and something like something bad would happen if he didn't talk to him. Oh, which reminds me, Sissy, I wanted to tell you to please be careful.'

Tohru smiled in understanding. 'I will, Kisa. No need to worry about me.' She gazed at the girl lovingly, then –she couldn't resist– lunged forwards and embraced her. 'THANK YOU!'

'Sissy,' Kisa whispered after a while, her tiny voice muffled under Tohru's arm, 'please don't ever forget me.'

Tohru chuckled. 'I _love_ you, Kisa! Of course I will never forget you! Why would you think that?'

Silence greeted her question, but Kisa's shoulders were trembling slightly. Tohru placed her chin on her orange head, and Kisa gave out a small, quivering sigh.

'B-Because,' stammered Kisa quietly, 'you might go away!'

'I'm not going anywhere,' said Tohru determinedly, feeling emotion build up inside of her. But, on looking up and seeing Kyo approaching, his face twisted with evident agony, a sharp image of an enraged Akito emerged in her mind. His pale face shining in a seemingly comforting light, his fury and hatred becoming obvious in his thin hand reaching out to seize her; she should have told Kyo it had been Akito in her nightmare.

For the first time in her life, in that single, brief second, Tohru felt fear grip her heart like a vice, and not for Kyo's life.


	9. Words of Injury

The Ninth Continuing Chapter- Words of Injury

"Sociability with other classes was certainly not one of the main objectives of the aristocratic families. The middle and the lower classes kept to themselves as well. Due to this, any sort of interaction between the classes consequently led to brutal conflict, and even death. That is a given _fact_, class, so I really think it foolish for stories to be written about 'forbidden' relationships between two classes. Have you ever…"

_To think they had that kind of stuff back then_, thought Kyo dryly, trying once again to shut out the History teacher's high-pitched, mouse-like voice. _Mouse_… He glanced sideways at Yuki, seated a few desks away, his head low as the pencil in his hand scribbled on a scrap of paper. Kyo raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Yuki then scrunched up the paper into a ball and passed it silently behind him to Saki Hanajima. _He never does _that. _Maybe something's going on between them? _

Hana unraveled the ball quietly, took a brief glance at whatever was written on it, and passed it to Arisa Uotani behind her, who did the same. Yuki seemed to be looking at the two of them questionably. _What the hell…?_

"Miss Kinoshita!" squeaked the teacher suddenly. Kyo's attention quickly shifted to the pigtailed girl he knew was called Minami… or something like it. Well, she was a member of that Yuki's-so-cute-it's-disgusting groupie club, he was certain of that. She was snickering loudly behind one hand, and she stopped abruptly when she noticed all eyes on her.

"And may I hear the joke, Miss Kinoshita?" demanded the teacher, her voice rising in pitch to an almost inaudible frequency.

"Well, it's like this," said Minami, in the same, _annoying_ high voice, "I just remembered your blouse is so out of style already! I mean, with all the –giggle– _frills_ on the neckline? That fashion's like, _yesterday_…"

"No, not _yesterday_, Minami!" piped up this other girl in front of her, "more like last _week_! Remember what Motoko said? Teachers can never dress properly!"

As the teacher tried to cease the girls' laughing, Kyo turned his head to look at Uo again. But he noticed that she no longer held the crumpled piece of paper; instead, Tohru, who sat at the desk right next to her, was peering at it with a frown. Then she looked up at Yuki and grinned. Kyo's back straightened as he smiled in return.

The school clock chimed deafeningly, indicating the start of recess. At once everyone in the class stood up and hurried out of the room impatiently, with the teacher's words still hanging in the air. She gave out a soft squeak of indignation, and curtly followed the hoard of students.

"Kyo, it's time for recess!" said Tohru cheerfully as she stopped in front of his desk. She still clutched the mysterious scrap of paper tightly in her hand.

"Hurry up, you loser, I'm _starved_!" cried Uo, folding her arms. "Up, up, _up_…"

"Tohru, can we talk for a minute?" asked Kyo lightly. _Don't make her think anything's wrong… _"I need to ask you about something, um, Shigure's told you."

"Oh, sure, of course we can!" replied Tohru, and she turned to Uo and Hana. "I'll see you in a few minutes, okay?"

"Miss Honda, are you sure?" asked Yuki quietly, coming up to them. He shot Kyo a wary glance, who continued to defiantly gaze at Tohru.

"Yes, Yuki, we'll be all right. You go on ahead… you didn't have any breakfast today as you left so early for your council meeting, so I'm sure you're quite hungry. Don't worry about us, go on!"

"Man, let's go already!" yelled Uo, and she grabbed Yuki's shoulder. Hana followed them out of the classroom silently. Tohru waved at their backs, and she looked at Kyo.

"So what do you want to ask me? What did Shigure –?"

"Oy Kyo, little reminder!" interrupted Uo, her blond head appearing at the door. "Make sure you get Tohru's permission before making out in here, understand?"

"M-Making… _WHAT?_" exclaimed Kyo, feeling his face turn immensely hot, "I-I don't want to do _that_! Don't go assuming things like that! I just wanted to –!"

"Relax, _Romeo_!" said Uo, laughing. "I was only playin' with your head… but I mean it, do anything _ungentlemanly_ and you'll be finding my foot up your ass! I don't want any French kissing either!"

"Um, Kyo, what did Uo mean by _making out_?" asked Tohru curiously, as Uo disappeared again.

_Hard-ass kissing_, thought Kyo, his heart thumping hysterically against his chest. He suddenly visualized Tohru clinging to him, his mouth trailing fiery kisses down her neck, and his hands tangled in her soft hair… "U-Uh," he stuttered, "it's just, um, deep talk, you know, heavy, intimate... _conversation _between two people."

"Oh… then what about French kissing? I mean, we're not French, so why would she call us that…?"

"Never mind that, Tohru," said Kyo loudly. "I have to talk to you about something important, remember?"

"Oh, yes! What did Shigure tell me that you want to –?"

"He didn't tell you anything important in particular. I just said that in front of your friends and that damn Yuki so they would let me be alone with you."

"So Shigure _didn't_ tell me anything?"

"He did! I… I don't know, Tohru! I said not anything important! At least, nothing that I don't know of! I just –AH!" Kyo sensed his patience diminishing. He felt as if he was being dragged into stagnant water and with every second that passed the oxygen was slowly being drained from his body. He couldn't hold in his emotion any longer. But, looking at the sudden cringe of fear that formed on Tohru's face, he knew the damage taking out his frustration on her would cause. "I-I'm sorry, Tohru. I didn't mean to snap like that."

"Am I…" she whispered, her eyes wide, "a-am I a b-burden for you?"

"NO!" declared Kyo. "You are _not_ a burden for me, Tohru! Never, _ever_ think that you are! I should be asking _you_ that. Don't you often think I go overboard in my actions? Doesn't it bother you that I always follow you wherever you go? Aren't you _afraid_ of me sometimes, when I'm capable of hurting you?"

"N-None of those things matter at all to me," replied Tohru softly. "I mean, how can they? I _care_ about you! I… _love_ you, K-Kyo…"

Those three, barely inaudible words struck Kyo's ears like a flaming bullet. _She said it… she _loves _me_… _but… _"Tohru, how can you love me, a cursed person and a _monster_?"

"Stop calling yourself that!" cried Tohru, grabbing his hands. "You're not a monster! You may think you are, but I know you'll always be sweet, kind, caring Kyo! You have so many friends, you're good at school, and you can fight very well!"

"Tohru, I'm a monster for handing you to Akito! No one, especially you, deserves that!"

"But you don't deserve to be locked up by him either!"

"Better me than you, Tohru! I'd rather _die_ a million times than have you hurt!"

"I'm here for you, Kyo! You don't have to face him alone; I'll be there with you…"

"Tohru, don't you ever feel any care for _yourself_? I mean, for once in your life just think about your own safety instead of others'! Don't you want to be away from Akito? What, you _want _him to hurt you?"

"No! I-I don't want to be..." Tohru's voice trailed into a small whimper. Kyo felt a slight, and only a slight, shock of surprise. So she admitted she _was _afraid of Akito. At least that would make it easier for her to run away from him. _But why does she keep refusing to?_

"Tohru, it's all right to be afraid sometimes. You don't have to face danger just because you think you're obligated to. If you think standing up to him is brave, running away from his is even braver."

"Then why aren't _you _running away, Kyo? Why are you staying put?"

"Because..." Kyo ran his tongue along his dry lips. The conversation was getting more intense than he thought. "Because... I'm afraid to." _Better to say that than tell her for the millionth time I don't want her to be involved. Afraid? She could believe me about that, but then she might come up with the excuse saying it's okay to be afraid. Wait, didn't _I _just tell her that? CRAP, I'm not making any sense! _Why _is this happening? I hate this, I hate this!_

Kyo's eyesight blurred. A second, calmer voice emerged in his mind, and his thoughts became a jumble of opposing emotions. _You hate this? Yeah, I do! Why? She _can't _mean anything to you... SHE DOES! Then why are you letting her go? I love her! That can't be right, surely not..._

"A-Afraid? Kyo then let me –!" Tohru began.

"NO!" burst out Kyo, waving a hand wildly to block the sight of her comforting face, and to somehow block out the intimidating voice in his head. "You stay away from him, and from me! I hate the fact that you've always been subjected to Akito, and I'm not going to let that end the way it's supposed to with me. I'm going to face him alone, and I want you to be as far away as possible!"

"I don't want to be away from you!" There were tears streaming down Tohru's face now, and her eyes were wide and bloodshot. "I can't leave you, Kyo!"

"You have to! We're ending this relationship right now, T-Tohru! I never should've kissed you! It's over between us!" Kyo felt his own eyes well up in tears. The pain in his heart was tearing him into too many pieces. _Shit... I have to... compose myself. No, you don't. Go on, let it all out. Besides, what _good _will it do by hiding your tears? _Crying _will make her go away forever... SHUT UP! Isn't that what you want?_

"W-What?" stammered Tohru, her hands on Kyo's shaking uncontrollably. He slid out of her hold.

"We're over. Forget about me, Tohru! Forget I even exist in your life! Akito can't hurt you if I don't mean anything to you –!" _You mean if _she _doesn't mean anything to _you

"But you mean _everything_ to me! And I-I'm sorry for being so selfish, but I _want_ you near me, Kyo! You said it yourself it's okay to be selfish sometimes, remember?"

"Tohru, stop it…" said Kyo weakly. _She can't stop. It's because of you she can't stop. She'll go on and on, because you _tainted _her heart... NO! That's not true! I..._

"I _need_ you to be with me! I love you, and I want to keep loving you! You're the only one who actually sits down to listen to me! Well, Yuki does that, and so do Uo and Hana, but you actually listen to what complaints I have to say!"

"You never complain, Tohru..."

"I do _all _the time, but I always look to Mom for comfort!" Tohru bit her bottom lip, teardrops falling from her chin. With the palm of her hand she hastily wiped them away. "Kyo, you can do that! You can always look to me for comfort, and I'll try my best to make you feel better! You don't have to go through this alone..."

"I HAVE TO, TOHRU!" burst out Kyo, stepping backwards. "Get the hell away from me right _now_! You shouldn't be needing me anymore!"

"But I really _do _need you!"

"Then what about _Yuki_, Tohru? You two were passing notes to each other awhile ago, what was all that about? You need that damn rat as well or what?"

"He was just asking me if I was all right!" sobbed Tohru, gazing pleadingly at Kyo. "He said he was worried about me. Kyo, I need him, but not in the way I need you. I need both of you! Other than Uo and Hana, you two are my closest friends..." _She loves Yuki, doesn't she?_

"Then maybe you should go to him, then," said Kyo huskily. His eyes stinging madly with salty tears, his heart pounding agonizingly, and his mind clouded noisily with emotion and thought, he whirled around and sped out of the classroom. Anything... he'd say absolutely anything to make her leave him, even if that included admitting to surrender her to his most hated rival. And he'd do anything to make himself believe she didn't need him. If only that stupid voice in his head would disappear...

"KYO! WAIT!" screamed Tohru, and Kyo could hear her tiny footsteps running after him in the corridor.

_She needs you... SHUT UP! She does not! Oh, she doesn't? She does! SHUT UP, STOP CONFUSING ME! Why are you running away from her? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? SHUT UP! Then maybe she _doesn't _love you, if you're the one running? _What_? If she's the one behind, then she _does _want to leave you after all. She _does _love me! No, she doesn't. So let her leave you. I–! You want her to leave, right? Tell her then; tell her to leave you alone... so you can bask in your pain and torture... I can't! Let her... leave... no..._

"I said LEAVE ME ALONE!" he yelled over his shoulder, oblivious to the numerous students that stared curiously at him. His feet slid to a stop as Tohru leapt in front of him. "Tohru, get a–!"

"Why are you doing this?" she asked shakily. "Tell me why you don't want me by your side!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, you'll get hurt! Now ge–!"

"So _what _if I get hurt? I'd be _happy _to get hurt as long as I know you're with me! I-I'm scared, Kyo! I don't want... I don't want to be alone, and I don't want _you _to be alone, too!"

"Listen, Tohru!" Kyo grabbed her trembling shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "I _love _you, but we can't go on like this, not when Akito knows about us. He planned to lock me away forever, and I will gladly surrender, _as long as you don't get hurt_. He's going to, sooner or later..."

"B-But Kyo," stammered Tohru, "Akito hurt me b-before. And I was all right..."

"WHAT? When? _Dammit_, Tohru, you should've told me! Was that the time in that summer house thing, when he came unexpectedly? TOHRU, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"HEY!" shouted an angry voice, but Kyo ignored it. _Looks like recess is over..._

"I-I wanted t-to," whispered Tohru, her breathing quick and raspy, "b-but I didn't want to worry you..."

"LET GO OF TOHRU, BASTARD!"

"You _have _to leave me, Tohru!" insisted Kyo, hearing the familiar pounding of Uo's footsteps approaching. "If you get hurt again, I'll _never _forgive myself for not protecting you. Tohru, you _have _to go! Akito isn't your damn business anymore, okay? Just go –!"

Kyo felt a numbing slam against his cheek. He stumbled sideways, and glared up at Uo, whose hands were clenched into tight fists.

"What the hell were you doing to her, bastard?" demanded Uo loudly. Hana appeared beside her, her pale face twisted in evident anger.

"Uo, he wasn't doing anything!" cried Tohru. Yuki hurriedly ran up to her. "I-I fell, and he picked me up!"

"Hey, what's going on?" Hatsuharu emerged from the crowd of students that only now Kyo noticed was gathering. Hatsuharu looked at him sympathetically.

"Tohru, what was he saying?" asked Yuki.

"Spit it out!" snapped Uo, taking a step forward and raising her fist again.

"Hey, hey, break it up!" Mayu Shiragi's head poked up from within the crowd, and she struggled to push her way through to Tohru. "Everyone, get back to class, nothing to see here! Go on, go on!"

Kyo began to feel extremely dizzy; he clutched his chest to try and ease the excruciating pain that thudded against it, and, as he looked around at the several faces whose stares threatened to bore through his head, closed his eyes to try and clear his mind. When he opened them again, he saw a particularly familiar face amongst the crowd. The face was pale and smirking, with teal-colored eyes and a forehead strewn with black strands of hair...

"Akito!" yelled Kyo angrily, and he shot into the crowd towards the sneering face, ignoring the shouts that followed him. _I have to get him away from Tohru! But what the hell is he doing here? Crap, where _is _he?_

Kyo turned a corner and found the school compound before him empty. _He couldn't have just disappeared. _Suddenly, Akito emerged before him, and Kyo lunged at him in a rage. At once, the figure of Akito dissolved into thin air.

"W-What?" said Kyo, disoriented. He looked around him for a few moments, and, with a cry of frustration, realized he had been hallucinating. _I'm just too scared... but I have to do it. At least for Tohru's sake. _With another cry, he punched both of his fists into the ground, and shattered pieces of cement flung and struck his face. "THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET, AKITO!"

oOo

"Kyo!" called out Tohru, her head reeling in concern as she scanned the open school compound. She looked at the two depressions made on the cement floor before her. "KYO!"

"Tohru, I don't think you'll find him," said Yuki wearily, trudging up behind her. "I mean, he's probably off hiding somewhere. And if he saw Akito here, which I really doubt, then, well, maybe they're talking together..."

"OH NO!" cried Tohru instantly, and her hands clapped together in fear. "Then what if Akito took Kyo away? I have to go and get him back!"

"Tohru! You can't face Akito alone! And don't worry yourself; I'm sure Akito's not here at school. Kyo must've been imagining things."

"Do you think so?" murmured Tohru, looking up at Yuki, who smiled reassuringly. She immediately felt some of her spirits rise.

"Yes. Now, are you quite certain you're feeling all right?"

"I am, thank you, Yuki. Thank you... thank you for being so nice to me." Tohru burst into tears once again; it was all she could do to stop herself from collapsing to the ground in hopelessness completely.

_Kyo, please be fine. Please... I really do need you. I... I will be there with you, you'll see. I'll stand up to Akito. I promise I won't leave you alone. Please don't be hurt. Please... be fine..._

"HEY!" screamed Uo from behind Tohru, who whirled around. "What was that about? Why was he holding you like that? If he hurt you, I swear..."

"No, no, he didn't hurt me," answered Tohru, shaking her head vigorously. "We were just having a... make-out."

"You _were_?" shrieked Uo incredulously. "THAT ASSHOLE! What he do, Tohru? TELL ME! Where'd he touch you?"

"Miss Honda! Did you really?" demanded Yuki, his eyes wide in angry surprise.

"W-What?" stammered Tohru, bewildered. "Yes, w-we did. Was that wrong? I _did _give him my permission, like you said, Uo..."

"NEVER LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY!" cried Uo. "So what happened? As soon as I left, what, you just got _kissing _and stuff?"

"Oh, um, no, we didn't k-kiss. We were just talking..."

"But you said you guys made out!"

"We did! That's exactly what we did! We were talking... that's a make-out right?"

"Oh, Tohru..."

oOo

Hiro watched Tohru's blond friend clutch her by the shoulders, just like Kyo did not too long ago, and saw Tohru's face turn a deep red. Her eyes grew wide, and at this Hiro crept out from his hiding place within a bush. That confirmed it; she and Kyo must have broken it off, just like Akito had said they would, and now this girl was comforting Tohru. Even if that wasn't the case, what Hiro overheard of the conversation between her and Kyo settled the situation.

Careful not to let any of the school's students see him, especially someone who knew him, Hiro dashed from the compound and found his way to the main school gate. Struggling to keep his knapsack straight, he began running towards the direction of the Sohma main house.

As he ran, he wondered about Kisa, whom he had left on their way to school earlier in the morning. She still didn't know the cause of his behavior, and Hiro wasn't planning on telling her. He couldn't, for that matter.

The walls surrounding the Sohma main house came into view, splashed with the shadows of the foliage that belonged to the cherry blossom trees standing behind them. Once Hiro reached the gate, he rapped on it loudly. As he expected, it swung open, like Akito assured him it would.

"I'll don't need your help," he snapped at an aged servant approaching him. "I can find Akito myself." He swept past the servant and halted at one of the main house's entrances. He hastily slipped out of his school shoes and tumbled into a corridor in his cotton socks. Then he spotted a familiar door. Inhaling deeply and painfully, he softly knocked on the door.

"Come in," said a quiet voice from within.

Hiro gulped involuntarily, and he slid the door open. Akito was sprawled in his usual position on the patio, his head seemingly fixed on a cherry blossom tree. The head turned, revealing two cold, questioning eyes.

"For disturbing my rest, I can only _expect _your reason is what I want to hear," said Akito, in a soft and icy tone.

"Forgive me, Akito," muttered Hiro, feeling fear grip his entire body. "But I do have a good reason. Kyo and Tohru broke their relationship off, just awhile ago."

"How can you be so sure, my little messenger?"

Hiro resisted the urge to voice an insult. Kisa's safety depended on it. "I followed them on their way to school, and watched for the time they would be alone together. It did, and they were fighting about letting each other go. Kyo kept telling her to leave him alone. Finally he ran off."

"That better be true, boy." drawled Akito, and he slowly stood up. Hiro drew back in alarm. "For your sake, it better be. I have Kisa in captivity."

"WHAT? B-But, you promised you wouldn't hurt her! Y-You're lying! You don't have her!"

"Why would I lie about something like that? Well, in any case, I couldn't be sure you'd do as I told you. You _did _talk to Kyo, did you not? I think you forgot to mention that."

"I DID! Before they got to school, I talked to him! I told him everything you told me to say! And you said you wouldn't hurt Kisa if I did so!"

"Hm... _that_ I lied about." Akito took a few menacing steps towards Hiro. "Better safe than sorry, wouldn't you say?"

Hiro stared at him in a rage. He was about to lunge on him when Akito whispered, "Now, now. You don't want Kisa to get hurt again, do you?"

Breathing heavily, Hiro lowered his gaze in defeat, and shook his head.

"I didn't think so," murmured Akito, and he turned around to face the patio once more. Hiro could vividly imagine the wicked smile on Akito's pale face even as it faced the opposite direction. "Now leave my sight. I have to prepare for some... _special _visitors."


	10. Passion in Silence

_I sincerely apologize for updating this story quite late, but in any case I do hope this chapter was worth the wait. It has a bit of what you readers suggested… and a little more than thought to be expected. _

The Tenth Continuing Chapter- Passion in Silence

Tohru finally gave in to the urge of flinging herself onto her bed and bursting into tears. She sobbed hysterically into her flower-printed pillow; thoughts too entangled to command herself with reason to stop crying. She'd never felt such burning pain grip her heart, not even when she'd discovered the death of her mom. Such pain, the thought didn't even arouse a hint of guilt.

How did life become so complicated, so achingly hard? She didn't know what to believe anymore, her relationship with Kyo had dismantled her reasoning to fluttery fragments of ignorance and bliss. And now, with the fact that the relationship apparently didn't exist anymore –a fresh stream of warm tears spurted from her eyes– she didn't know how to distinguish that which stood as truth and which stood as lie. _You have to leave me, Tohru_. She understood perfectly how Kyo didn't want her to get hurt, but she couldn't see why she had to leave him. She needed him as much as the air that she now gasped for between sobs, as much as the touch of her mother and the warmth of her embrace… as much as the tenderness of Kyo's kiss. Kiss… would they ever kiss again? Tohru shuddered as she vividly recalled the two of them kissing earlier in the morning, before they had left for school, before they had fought. It was evening now. And Kyo still hadn't returned. Maybe he didn't love her anymore…

_He'll be back_, Yuki had assured. _He's nocturnal anyway, _Shigure had joked, and Tohru let out a weak, choked chuckle as she remembered that then Yuki had slapped Shigure's head. She was blessed to have such caring friends. Even Uo and Hana had offered to look for Kyo after he disappeared from school, that is, after they had explicitly explained the proper definition of a 'make-out'. Tohru squeaked as sudden mental images bombarded her head, of Kyo touching her… there was a soft knock on her door and she jumped out of her reverie with a small scream.

"Miss Honda, are you alright?" Yuki flung the door open, silver eyes widening at the sight of Tohru sprawled on the bed. Seating herself upright, she consciously wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her dotted pajama top as he approached her.

"I-I, yes, y-yes I am, thank you for asking, Yu–!" Tohru let out a loud hiccup and tried to grin at Yuki, who sat down next to her.

"Why are you crying?" he asked softly, placing a hand lightly on Tohru's shoulder.

She stared at him for a moment, blurred as he was through her tears, and then was suddenly overcome with emotion once again. "I'm sorry!" she cried, giving way to another heavy outburst. She buried her face in her hands, but even in the darkness of her eyelids she could still see the image of a smiling Kyo.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Yuki gently tightened his hold. "Is it about Kyo?"

Tohru, unable to speak for lack of words and breath, nodded vigorously. Feeling water accumulate in the palms of her hands she lifted her head with a deep sniff.

Yuki chuckled. "I'm sorry, but you look cute when you cry. Don't worry about him, okay? I'm sure he's fine."

"I-It's… n-not that…" spluttered Tohru, blushing profusely at his remark. "N-No, I mean, I'm worried he's hurt! But…"

"Tohru," said Yuki, lifting her chin with his other hand so that her tearful, bloodshot eyes looked into his, "what did he say to you awhile ago in school?"

Tohru opened her mouth to reply, and then hesitated. Should she tell him what had happened? In any case, they _had_ caused quite a scene in the corridor, so it was out of the question to say that she didn't know what Yuki was talking about…

"Eh…" she began, blinking hard as if in the hope that the gesture would stop the tears, "um… we were only talking about... Aki…to…" She trailed off, locking her hands together as fear stabbed her heart. Kyo's voice rang through her ears:

_What, do you _want_ him to hurt you?_

_If you think standing up to him is brave, running away from him is even braver._

_Akito can't hurt you if I don't mean anything to you!_

"Akito?" echoed Yuki, and Tohru, slightly disoriented, nodded. "I don't want you worrying about him either. Miss Honda, you have to start worrying about _yourself_."

"I've been told…" murmured Tohru, sniffing. "But Yuki, what about Kyo? He said he saw Akito! I mean, Akito's going to lock him up–!"

"Better him than you," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it. Tohru gaped at him, unsure whether to feel happy for his concern for her, or anger for his indifference to Kyo's wellbeing. But then again, anger would be unbecoming of her. Surprise, no. "Yuki, I know that you don't like Kyo, but he doesn't deserve to be locked up! Do you really dislike him that much?"

Yuki stared at her, looking slightly taken aback. "No, that's not what I meant, Miss Honda. Please forgive me. I'm just saying that your safety matters more, because, first and foremost, you never deserved to be involved. Second, well, Akito has his reasons for locking up Kyo."

"But he's not very nice!" Tohru pointed out, heaving herself off the bed. Then she gasped. "Oh, um, I'm sorry! He's family to you, so–!"

"Miss Honda," interrupted Yuki, standing up himself and grasping both of Tohru's shoulders, "don't apologize, yes I know Akito's not quite the best person. But don't you think that Kyo did something to deserve being locked up, maybe? Akito wouldn't do that if not for punishment."

"I- what?" Tohru snapped her mouth shut. The thought had never crossed her mind, actually, that Kyo might've done something to anger Akito. She frowned, one hand touching the place where Akito had scratched the skin long ago. Suddenly, she was struck with an idea. "I know! What if we can do something so that Akito will forgive Kyo for whatever he did wrong? That way he won't be locked up! We have to ask Kyo about it but, oh… he's not here yet…"

Yuki shook his head in amusement. "You're so kind, Miss Honda…" he whispered, stepping closer. Tohru grinned at him, wiping the last of her tears away.

"Thank you so much, Yuki," she said happily. "For making me feel better." Then she noticed that Yuki was looking at her oddly, his eyes piercing into hers as though with rage. "Um, are you alright?"

"Miss Honda, can't you see?" he murmured.

"Oh! Are you hurt somewhere? I'm sorry! Where are you hurt?"

"No, Tohru…"

Tohru gasped as she heard Yuki call her name with such familiarity, wondering whether her ears had mingled his voice with the words of Kyo in her head.

Yuki moved even closer. So close that Tohru could smell the fresh odor of the shirt he wore, the honeyed scent of his silvery hair. She watched his face approach hers, her eyes moving from his own to his thin mouth. Her mind was a jumbled mess; she couldn't comprehend what was happening, everything was starting to blur once again…

Yuki's lips touched hers.

Her eyes automatically fluttered close as they always did when Kyo kissed her, but it wasn't him now… it was Yuki. _Yuki_. Tohru made a small sound and attempted to pull back, but something stopped her. Something inside her _wanted_ to keep kissing. Yuki's lips were soft, and, as he opened his mouth slightly, warm breath flooded into Tohru's own mouth. She felt her knees weaken, her shoulders slacken. No, she should pull back. She loved _Kyo_, not Yuki. But Kyo wasn't here at the moment…

"No, I'm sorry!" she cried, taking several steps backward. Yuki merely gazed at her with hungry eyes, breathing hard.

The door banged open, and Kyo entered the room.

"KYO!" cried Tohru, her heart leaping with hysteria. Without thinking, she rushed forward and threw her arms around his neck.

_Poof!_

She hugged the orange cat tightly, relief rushing through her. "You're okay!" she sang, rubbing her cheek against the thin fur.

"Of course I'm okay, idiot, what did you think happened to me?" Kyo curled his tail around Tohru's wrist. Then his bright eyes saw Yuki. "Why are you in her room, damn rat?"

"I was just leaving," said Yuki tonelessly. He brushed past them without another word.

Tohru, feeling a choking lump of guilt well up in her throat, hugged Kyo even tighter. "Kyo, please forgive me! I-I… I kissed Yuki!"

"What?" The cat bounded out of her arms and stared at her with evident shock.

"I kissed Yuki, Kyo, I'm _so_ sorry!" Tohru's eyes filled with fresh tears, but she didn't wipe them away. "I didn't know what I was thinking! I love _you_, Kyo! But I couldn't think straight! Yuki was just comforting me, because Akito was going to lock you up, and I thought that you didn't love me anymore, and–!"

"What? Tohru! _Tohru_!" yelled Kyo, and Tohru screamed as he erupted into a sudden burst of colored smoke. She snapped her head in the opposite direction.

"Tohru…" said Kyo in a muffled voice as he dressed himself, "why did you think that?"

Tohru felt a strong but gentle hand pull her shoulder, but she couldn't bring herself to look into Kyo's eyes. "Because I-I… you said…" She let out a choked sob.

"Tohru, I _still_ love you, very much. Always have, always will. And even if you… kissed Yuki…"

"I didn't mean to, Kyo, I really didn't, I'm sorry! I was thinking about you the whole time!" Kyo gave her a half-smile. Tohru let out another sob as she realized how handsome he looked. He was still in his school uniform, she noticed. "And I understand if don't want me to be your girlfriend anymore, because girlfriends are not supposed to kiss other people! I'm _so_ sorry, Kyo, I really am!"

"I know you are, Tohru," said Kyo softly, brushing away a tear with his finger. "You wouldn't be crying if you weren't. Listen, about what I said earlier…"

"I know, you want me to leave," she squeaked.

"Yeah, I do. I still do. Tohru, _I don't want you to get hurt_, and I don't want you saying anything to make me change my mind. I love you and I don't know what I'll do if something bad happens to you. Please, I… I want you to be safe. I just came here to give you one last thing before we… well, we officially break up."

"B-Break up?" echoed Tohru, feeling something like a ton of bricks slam against her heart. How ironic it was for such simple words to bring such agonizing pain. "Oh, Kyo… why can't, why can't we just face Akito together…?"

Tohru couldn't say any more, for then Kyo had pressed his lips against hers.

They were so right, so fit for each other. He had always loved her, he had said, and she had always loved him too, even before they had met. That day emerged into her mind, the day when he had stomped into the house, challenged Yuki to a fight, fixed the roof in her room. The very room they were in now. Where he had fed her soup, where they had talked together. Everything that had happened between them was etched in her memory. And this kiss was going to be but a memory too. The whole relationship was going to merge into the corners of her mind. Everything was going to become a mere memory. But before each moment becomes a memory, it has to be savored first.

Tohru placed a hand on either side of Kyo's face while his own gripped her waist. She desperately wanted to press her body against his, to feel him completely. Apparently, Kyo had the same desire. He opened his mouth and, as she yielded, slid his tongue in. The sudden moisture startled her, but she resisted the urge to pull back, and soon she dared herself to lift her own tongue. Excitement and ecstasy surged through her as they explored each other's mouths. After a while, Kyo finally pulled away, but before Tohru could say anything he dropped his head and began to kiss her neck instead. She'd always wondered how it felt like to be kissed on the neck, with all the romance movies she'd watched, but now that she was actually feeling it she found it hard to see how the actors always remained so calm. Kyo's lips on her skin sent currents of fiery electricity through her nerves, and she wanted nothing but to fling herself on him.

Kyo trailed a line of sizzling kisses up her neck and she let out a soft moan. He lifted his head, letting his lips hover in front of hers.

"No… I want you…" he whispered unsteadily. Then, with more ardor and desire than Tohru had ever imagined was possible to feel, their mouths devoured each other once again.


	11. Planning

The Eleventh Continuing Chapter- Planning

Shigure placed the phone receiver back into its handset with a small smile. Hearing approaching footsteps, he turned and saw Yuki coming down the staircase, wearing an unreadable expression.

"Oh Yuuuki!" Shigure sang, raising a hand in greeting. "That was Mayu on the phone. She's coming over for dinner, now isn't that lovely? Oh, how she longs for my presence…"

"Pervert," muttered Yuki, striding past.

_Now I wonder what's bothering him_, thought Shigure with intrigue. "My dear Yuki, you have the looks of one in quite a mental disturbance. I should know for I'm an artist!"

"Aren't you a novelist?" Yuki finally halted, his forehead partially hidden behind strands of silvery hair creased in a frown.

"Ah, novelists _are_ artists. So come on Yuki, why the long face?"

"Why is she coming over?" asked Yuki, and Shigure grinned at the change of subject.

"I'm not sure, actually, she merely said she had something to discuss with us. Perhaps a concern of your studies, a longing for my presence, oh who knows?"

"_You wish_ a longing for your presence," said Yuki coldly. "No one in their right mind would long for you."

"Oh, my!" Shigure placed a hand on his chest in mock surprise. "Such harsh, Kyo-like words! Oh, why am I tortured so? Must artists suffer the cruelties of life?"

Yuki threw him a dirty look. "I'm going for a walk," he said flatly.

Shigure watched him go, shaking his head in amusement. Kyo had only just returned to the house, and now Yuki had just left. _Perhaps they had a disagreement of some sort. _His eyes shifted to the staircase. _I wonder what Kyo is doing now_, he thought gleefully, climbing the staircase.

Then he paused, remembering Tohru had been depressed, a sight that had concerned Shigure more than it had amused him. She had returned from school earlier than usual, together with Yuki, and Yuki had explained later that she and Kyo had fought publicly, after which Kyo had disappeared. Tohru had been a miserable wreck since then.

"Oh, the days of the Sohma lives," said Shigure dramatically, continuing his climb. When he reached the top of the landing, he heard soft voices coming from Tohru's room, and, not one to help but eavesdrop, he tread carefully towards the door until he could hear what was being said quite plainly:

"Tohru, you can't keep doing this to me."

"But y-you said that you want me, so how can you let go of me and want me at the same time? Kyo, please, just let me come with you!"

"Tohru, dammit, we've been over this a million times already. I don't want you to get hurt!"

Silence, and then:

"I'd rather get hurt with you than have you get hurt by yourself, Kyo! Please, we promised we'd stay together always! Let's face Akito together! We can make a plan or something, right? We can make him forgive you for whatever you did, I'm sure we can!"

Shigure grinned to himself, impressed by the innocence and the genuineness of Tohru's love. _We can make it through the rain_, he sang in his head.

"What do you mean _forgive_? The hell, Tohru, I didn't do anything! He just wants to lock me up for the sake of locking me up!"

"Oh… b-but still, we can face him together! No matter what happens, we'll still be together!"

"No, Tohru… he might take you away from me, and no way am I risking that. I'm going to Akito by myself, and that's it, end of conversation, Tohru."

There was silence once again, longer this time, and then suddenly came a loud thud, as though one of them had stomped a foot on the floor.

"We just broke up, Kyo. That means I'm not your girlfriend anymore, so I can do whatever I please. I'm going with you to meet Akito whether you like it not!"

Shigure couldn't resist; he gave out a whoop and swung the door open.

"My little flower has finally learned to stand against others!" he said, clamping both hands over his heart.

"Were you listening the whole time, you bastard?" yelled Kyo, raising a fist.

"Nein, nein, I only managed to catch a few lines here and there." Shigure gave him a wicked grin.

"Oh, Shigure!" cried Tohru, her eyes widening in obvious distress. "Did I disturb you, was I that loud? I'm so sorry! I won't be loud again!" She hastily bowed.

"You idiot, don't apologize for his eavesdropping!" snapped Kyo, staring at Tohru incredulously. He grabbed both of Shigure's shoulders and began to push him out through the doorway. "Get… out…!"

"How rude!" exclaimed Shigure, "Tohru, look what Kyo's doing to me!"

"Stop complaining to Tohru, you coward!" yelled Kyo, and with a final push Shigure bounded into the corridor.

"Kyo ruined my kimono!" wailed Shigure, as the door slammed in his face. Chuckling, he proceeded down the staircase. _Now I wonder if Hatori knows Mayu's coming over…_

oOo

Kyo could only stare at Tohru, her previous comment before Shigure had burst in still ringing in his ears. "Tohru…" he said weakly, taking a step towards her, "I… I don't know what to say." He bit his bottom lip, which still tingled from the intense kiss that had actually left him wondering whether it had accounted for the ending of their relationship, or merely reinstated it. The latter seemed more likely, as much as he hated –but desired– to admit it, although the former had seeped into Tohru's mind, apparently.

"You don't have to say anything," she replied in a firm tone that Kyo knew was only used when she couldn't be swayed into thinking otherwise. "I'm going with you to see Akito."

A number of thoughts crashed into Kyo's mind. _What the hell is she doing? Doesn't she know what she's putting herself into? Damn, I love her so much. I don't deserve love like this. Why is she being so damn stubborn? Doesn't she care about herself? No… she doesn't… she never did…_

"Tohru, I…"

"Listen to me, Kyo, please," she said, striding forward and grasping one of Kyo's hands. "I… I'm scared. I'm scared I might get hurt…"

"Then don't–!"

"Please let me finish, Kyo. I'm scared I might get hurt, I really am. But I'm even more scared of you getting hurt. I think that you don't deserve to be hurt. You deserve happiness because you never got to attend the banquet! All the pain you went through, you don't deserve any more of it, you're so… so _wonderful_, Kyo! You even took my pain for yourself, and you protected me and defended me so many times… I love you… so now let _me_ take away _your_ pain."

Kyo felt a lump form in his throat, felt his eyes sting with tears. Tohru was perfect in every sense of the word; he never thought he'd be so lucky to have someone like her in his life. She tightened her hold on his hand, gazed at him with such fierce determination.

"You're so stupid…" he said, before finally bursting into tears. He pulled her into an embrace.

She held him tight against her chest, and he could hear the soft thrumming of her heart. He savored her touch, curling his tail around her wrist like he always did, clinging to the supple skin of her arm with both of his forepaws.

"So can I come with you?" she asked, smoothing the fur along his spine.

His sigh came out as a deep purr. "Well, looks like you're gonna come one way or the other, so… yeah."

"I'm so happy!" she squealed, and Kyo felt her rock back and forth. "Okay, when do we see him? Tomorrow! Let's see him tomorrow! Oh, wait, not tomorrow! Tomorrow's–!"

"Calm down," said Kyo, both alarmed and amused. "Geez… I didn't think this would even excite you. No, we have to make a plan first, like you said."

"So what plan do we make?"

Kyo, taking this opportunity to feign thoughtful consideration, pressed his small nose to Tohru's shirt and inhaled her pleasant, strawberry scent. He'd always wanted to do that. "Well, I'm not really sure…"

"What if we ask Shigure and Yuki to come along?"

"No, that won't work... Akito can demand them to leave the room. He can demand anything, dammit. We'll just have to form some sort of strategy, like if he gets violent I hold him down and you kick his ass…"

"Me kick his…?" Tohru gasped, staring down into Kyo's cat eyes.

"I taught you how to fight, remember? Don't tell me you forgot already!"

"Oh, no! Of course not! I didn't… forget…"

"Nah, that's okay, that means I get to teach you again," said Kyo, winking up at her. "We'll use that as a last resort anyway…"

"Oh, I know!" cried Tohru, letting go of Kyo in her excitement. He landed on the ground with a small yelp, but on all four paws. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Kyo! But I just thought of something! Why don't we ask Uo and Hana to come along?"

"What? _Why _the hell would you wanna ask them for? They don't even know about the curse or _Akito_ for that matter!"

"We don't have to tell them about the curse, we can just say that we're meeting the head of the family, and then when we're there and something goes wrong, Hana can sense it and send electrical signals to distract everybody! Uo can help too, and–"

"Woah, woah, hang on a second, Tohru. That actually sounds good. I mean, yeah, Hana gives me weird thoughts when I piss her off sometimes, I swear that woman freaks me out… I don't know, it _could_ work, using them as a means of distraction. But Uo…"

"She can kick butt!" cried Tohru, punching a fist into the air, and then screaming as Kyo erupted into a thick cloud of smoke.

oOo

"Why can't I just kick his ass?" asked Hatsuharu bluntly.

Yuki shook his head in disapproval, now wondering that perhaps it hadn't been the wisest of decisions to ask one of the most unstable members of the Zodiac to accompany him to see Akito. After all, Hatsuharu harbored the personality of one quite likely to tear the head of the family literally into pieces, as he had just implied, and this was the last thing on Yuki's mind. More of a last resort, in other words.

"No, Haru. I just want the two of us to talk to Akito, _calmly_, about the whole situation."

Hatsuharu looked at him blankly for a while. "Why are you doing this?" he asked finally.

Yuki pursed his lips and, as the recollection of the feel of the kiss struck him without warning, whirled around to avoid Hatsuharu's gaze. "For Miss Honda's safety," he said loudly, as if saying it so would make it seem more credible. It _was_ true that he feared for her life, but more than anything, more than his mind could logically explain, he wished for punishment from Akito. Punishment for kissing Tohru Honda. He really couldn't comprehend the reason behind the wish. Perhaps he had grown accustomed to the fact that everything he did that was thought to displease Akito needed to be reprimanded. But then again, ever since Tohru had come into the life of the Sohmas, he hadn't felt the need to be reprimanded as often. He had felt the need to rebel. He had _wanted_ to displease Akito. But when his lips had touched Tohru's, reality had come crashing down like a rock avalanche, bitterly reminding him that he still feared Akito. So long as that fear existed, then the habitual need for punishment would never leave.

"As much as I know discouraging won't help, I'm still saying this might not be a good idea, Yuki," said Hatsuharu, breaking into Yuki's thoughts.

"I know it isn't," he replied tonelessly. Did he really?

"Fine… when do we leave?"

Yuki turned around. "The day after tomorrow. Wait for me."

oOo

"Do we even stand a chance against this Akito?" asked Mayu slowly.

"If you want an honest answer," replied Shigure, fanning himself gently, "no."

"You know better than to ask, Mayu," said Hatori quietly, gazing at her with knowing eyes, which she refused to meet.

Shigure checked the clock that hung nearby. "Oh dear, we better finalize this, Tohru's due to prepare dinner in about half an hour. She's making miso ramen!"

"Finalize what, Shigure? The details of the so-called plan aren't even solid. How can you be so certain it will work?" Hatori leaned forward on the small table around which they sat and doused his cigarette on an ash tray.

Shigure folded the fan. "I'm not," he said softly. He knew what Hatori was thinking about. "But I have to do _something_ to right the wrong that I did. It's my fault Akito knows; therefore the safety of Kyo and Tohru lies in my responsibility."

"Well, that's noble of you, Shigure, but need I point out that their safety has _always_ been your responsibility?"

"Wait, wait," said Mayu, waving a hand to call attention, and both men turned to look at her, with silent gratefulness on Shigure's part. "I don't understand something. Why is it that when this Akito found out about Hatori and Kana, none of you made a move to talk him out of punishing them then, like how you plan to do so for the brat and Honda's sake now? What, is it like delayed guilt or something?" She was shifting gaze between the two men, but her words seemed to be more directed at Shigure.

_Now when did I become the villain, _he wondered. _Hatori's the one who erased Kana's memories. _Before he could answer, though, Hatori spoke up.

"Mayu, even _I_ couldn't talk him out of it. I–"

"You _let _Akito erase her memories!" exclaimed Mayu.

"Um, actually–" Shigure closed his mouth as Hatori shot him a warning glare.

"Mayu, I had no _say_ in the matter, and even if I did I wouldn't have done anything. Kana's safety depended on it; look, she's happier now, isn't she?"

Both Mayu and Shigure froze into a moment of silence, each thinking the same thing: they'd never heard Hatori admit Kana's happiness, something that implied he still harbored feelings for her. Hatori seemed to realize their thoughts himself, for he leaned backward and folded his arms, eyes closed, silent. Shigure gazed at his cousin with sympathy, before finally breaking the all too uncomfortable silence.

"Well then," he said loudly, "let me summarize the plan! So, Mayu, you meet us here at precisely thirteen-hundred-hours a day from tomorrow–"

"Can't you just say one o'clock?" muttered Mayu, shaking her head.

"Now where's the fun in that? Plans must be professionally and strategically laid out, my _dear _Mayu…"

"Don't call me that!"

"… So the three of us then happily make our way to the main house, where we shall try and sway Akito to our advantage, but should he rage his horrible wrath upon us, then, well… hmm… I suppose we shall have to resort to drastic measures…"

"_Drastic measures?_" Hatori opened his eyes, a skeptical frown creasing his forehead. "And do tell me, Shigure, what you mean by that?"

Shigure gave his cousin a sly grin. "It means we shall have to _retaliate_. Oh, that day will be _quite_ exciting, no?"

Mayu gave out a loud groan. "Let's just do whatever comes to mind at the time. I'm more worried of the fact of what you plan to _say_ to Akito. And I still don't see why _I_ have to come."

"You are Kana's best friend," said Hatori quietly. "That's something to throw in Akito's face. Make _him_ feel the delayed guilt."

Mayu's expression softened. "Alright, so that's settled, then. Oh yes, by the way, why do we see him the day after tomorrow?"

"Because," said Shigure brightly, "it's my _birthday_ tomorrow!"


	12. The Irony of Circumstances

The Twelfth Continuing Chapter- The Irony of Circumstances

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to meee…" sang Shigure merrily, swaying his head from side to side as he hung the last of the glittery streamers across the doorway between the staircase corridor and the dining room, where Kyo sat watching him with an annoyed frown.

"How old _are_ you now anyway?" he asked as Shigure flounced into the room.

"Oh, Kyo! Don't you know the superstition that if you ask an older man his age, you become an old man yourself?" Shigure widened his eyes dramatically.

"WHAT?" Kyo jumped to his feet, horror distorting his face. "I-I knew that! Forget I asked that!"

"I think you just crossed the line from 'stupid' to 'brainless', Kyo" said Yuki, coming into the room carrying a small box of deflated balloons.

"What's that mean, damn rat?" yelled Kyo, glowering at Yuki, who returned a similar flaming glare.

"Forget brainless," hissed Yuki, lowering the box onto the dining table, "you're completely _hopeless_."

"Say that again," challenged Kyo threateningly, hands curling into tight fists.

"_Gladly_," snapped Yuki, raising a fist of his own.

"Then say it, damn rat!"

"I _will_!"

"You two aren't making any sense now," said Shigure, grinning innocently as Kyo and Yuki broke their heated eye contact to glare at him instead. There was a brief silence, and then they snapped back to each other.

"You don't stand a chance against me, damn rat!"

"Then why haven't you beaten me yet?"

"What? I- ARGHHH!"

Kyo lunged at Yuki, but before his fist could meet anything, Tohru padded into the room.

"Oh, Tohru," whined Shigure immediately, "they're fighting again!"

The two boys froze for the second time as Tohru stared at them with a look of utmost horror on her face.

"Oh!" she cried, hands clasping together into their usual position under her chin. "Please don't destroy the house! It's Shigure's birthday, and we haven't finished with the decorations yet–the balloons! I forgot the balloons! Oh–!"

"It's alright, Miss Honda," interrupted Yuki, turning away from an appalled Kyo to pick up the box he had been carrying earlier. "I have the balloons right here. If we start blowing them now, I'm sure we'll finish in good time before the party starts."

"H-Hey!" spluttered Kyo, but he fell into silence as Tohru smiled at Yuki. Her words the day before bulleted into his mind: _I kissed Yuki. Kissed. Kissed…_ How could she have kissed him? Kyo glared at the silver head in front of him, his insides twisting in swelling anger. Sure, it was partly his fault, maybe. He _had_ left her without a reason, and he _had_ made her believe that he didn't love her anymore. _Which _was_ the original plan_, he thought bitterly, _to keep her from being hurt_. Now he didn't know what to think. Now he supposed he should just go with the flow, live each precious second and just hope for the best. Tohru turned her smile to him. A broader, more compassionate smile. Kyo's muscles relaxed as she seemed to gaze at him lovingly, achingly. She loved him. He loved her. What else could matter more?

He cleared his throat. "So _when_ does the party actually start?"

"In about two hours," replied Tohru, picking up a green balloon, "when the guests start to arrive! Oh, I'm so excited for you, Shigure!"

"Why thank you, my little housewife! Ah!" Shigure winced as he received a blow to either side of his head.

"Get to blowing, damn dog." Kyo grabbed a handful of balloons, and then paused. Yuki and Shigure followed his gaze.

Tohru was stretching the balloon's neck with fingers of both hands, her lips pursed and forehead creased in deep concentration. She took a deep breath, and, after several seconds, exhaled into the balloon. It remained limp in her hands.

"Um, Tohru?" Kyo took a step towards her. "You do know _how_ to blow a balloon, right?"

"Of course I do!" she answered shrilly, and she blew into the balloon's mouth again, but to no avail. She blushed and giggled nervously. "Um… I thought I did."

"Idiot," said Kyo, shaking his head in amusement. He reached and took the balloon from her just as a loud knocking sounded.

"Oh! Who could've come so early?" Tohru ran out of the room.

Kyo examined the balloon before stuffing its mouth into his. He blew hard, but, to his surprise, the balloon merely flapped.

"Do _you_ know how to blow a balloon?" asked Yuki, lifting a fine eyebrow.

"Of course I do!" snapped Kyo, savagely stretching the balloon.

"That's what Tohru said," said Shigure, and he smiled innocently as Kyo threw him a dirty look.

"I CAN! Look, dammit!" Kyo gripped the neck of the balloon and blew hard. His face flushed as the balloon flew out his hand. "Aargh!"

"And you were going to show that to Miss Honda?" Yuki shook his head. "Disgraceful."

"Shut up, you–!"

"Everyone!" called Tohru, reappearing in the room with an unreadable expression on her face that immediately concerned Kyo. "Look who's here!"

A tall man entered, and both Kyo and Yuki let out a gasp. Shigure merely stared as the man turned to him, holding out a small envelope.

"Happy birthday, Shigure," said Kureno softly.

"Why are you here?" asked Shigure, his tone cautious, eyes watchful. He didn't take the envelope. "Where's Akito?"

"I suggest you open this first," said Kureno tonelessly.

"Where the hell is Akito?" yelled Kyo suddenly, as immense fear rushed through him like wild adrenaline. _Tohru! _

"Still haven't learned to control your anger, Kyo?" Kureno gazed at Kyo as if he were a harmless child.

"Damn you," Kyo spat.

"Um," squeaked Tohru, "K-Kureno came alone. I didn't see anyone else with him!"

"Why?" asked Yuki. Tohru looked at him in confusion, and then realized his question had been meant for Kureno, who looked at him then.

"Akito sends his regards, Yuki," he said impassively.

Yuki took a step back, a gesture that Kyo himself would've done if his feet hadn't been rooted to the wooden floor. _What's going on, _he thought hysterically.

Shigure stared at Kureno, and continued to hold his gaze as he slowly took the envelope. "Would this be a birthday card by any chance?" he asked, half jokingly, half suspiciously.

Kureno simply shrugged.

Kyo watched in rising terror as Shigure pried the envelope open; instinct was telling him that something bad was about to happen. He looked up at Tohru, but she herself stood transfixed as Shigure then pulled out a glossy slip of paper.

"_To all_," he read aloud, "_you are cordially invited to the main house for a celebration with regards to Shigure's birthday. Timing: Midnight. Attire: Formal._" Shigure's mouth twisted into a grim frown. "_Sincerely, Akito. _Well, this is an interesting turn of events…"

"Is this some kind of joke?" demanded Yuki, staring incredulously at the paper.

"What the hell is he trying to pull?" yelled Kyo.

Kureno held up a hand. "I serve only as messenger," he said in a monotone, as if he had said the same sentence many times before.

"Yeah? Well, you go tell Akito we're not coming!" Kyo strode forwards until he stood a kick away from Kureno, fists balled and prepared to fight.

"We can't just ignore this, Kyo," said Shigure frankly, "as much as we all want to, I'm sure… but this invitation is as good as an order, coming from Akito. Hmm, looks like we're not seeing him tomorrow then…"

"Wait, what? Tomorrow? We were going to see Akito tomorrow, Tohru and me," said Kyo, catching Tohru's wide-eyed expression.

"I planned to go with Hatsuharu," murmured Yuki.

"Well, isn't that ironic?" said Shigure, shaking his head. "I was to pay him a visit along with Hatori and Mayu."

"Why?" asked Kyo and Yuki at the same time. They exchanged heated glances.

"Same reason as you, I suppose."

Just then there was a rapid succession of knocks. Tohru gasped and disappeared once again, leaving a cold, silent blanket over the room. After a few minutes, the sound of several voices filled the air.

"Tohru!" a female voice cried. _Kagura, _Kyo thought with dread. "You look so pretty!"

"Oh! I, um, thank you, Kagura! You look very pretty too! Please come in–!"

"Who died in here? It's quiet…" Hatsuharu's toneless voice followed, and then squeals from who could only be Momiji.

"Ooh, don't say scary things like that, Haru! It's Shigure's birthday, you're supposed to be singing!"

"Yeah, but where's the music?"

"Oh!" Kyo heard Tohru gasp. "I forgot music! Oh, forgive me, please! I'm so sorry, how could I have been so stupid?"

Momiji chuckled, coming into Kyo's view. To his disgust, Momiji was wearing a frilly pink outfit dotted with white flowers here and there, complete with a matching hat and shoes. "It's not your fault, Tohru! You– _Kureno_?"

Hatsuharu and Kagura came up behind him; Kagura became rigid, her mouth open in both surprise and horror, while Hatsuharu acknowledged Kureno's presence rather nonchalantly. He turned to Tohru, who had trotted up to his side. "Did you invite him?"

Tohru's face contorted suddenly and dramatically, her hands flying to her grasp her face. "OH! Oh my goodness, how could I forget to invite him! Kureno, could you ever forgive me? I'm so sorry! I- I thought I invited everyone! Shigure said to invite everyone, and –oh, I'm so, so sorry! Shigure, please forgive me! I–!"

"It's alright, Tohru," cut in Shigure laughingly. "I forgive you for forgetting to invite Kureno. He is, after all, just family, but then again, there's nothing like the company of family…"

"I'M SO SORRY!"

"Shut the hell up, Shigure!" yelled Kyo.

"This certainly is an entertaining household," said Kureno softly. He gazed at Momiji and Hatsuharu. "And seeing as there's nothing like the company of family, for certain I shall see you all at the main house."

He strode out of the room –briskly, so that none of them had the chance to say another word to him.

"Where's Hatori?" asked Yuki suddenly, coming up behind Kyo.

"Oh, he's parking the car," answered Momiji, a little distractedly. "Did you know the neighbours down the block are having a party too? There're cars parked all the way from there to here!"

"At least _someone_ gets to celebrate today," muttered Kyo, glancing at Shigure, who still held the invitation, he noticed. And so did Momiji.

"Hey, Shigure, what's that?" The rabbit pointed a finger at the paper.

Hatsuharu leaned forward, peering at the upside-down words. "_You… are… cord–_"

"Akito's telling us to go the main house later," said Yuki grimly. Hatsuharu looked up, eyebrows raised slightly.

"Yeah, _cordially invited_ my ass," spat Kyo angrily.

"Now, now," said Shigure, waving his free hand, "we shouldn't be so–"

"MY DEAR SHIGURE!" cried a voice that sent familiar chills down Kyo's spine. There was the sound of running feet, and then a figure clad in flowing garments burst into the doorway.

"Aya!" greeted Shigure happily.

"Give me a break already!" yelled Kyo, as Yuki's brother scanned the room with piercing eyes.

"Why do all of you look like we're celebrating a funeral? But then again, even if Shigure _was_ dead –I pray that never happens! – I'm sure we'd all be more festive than this!"

"Not with you around," said Yuki icily.

"Oh, Yuki, you're quite the joker! It is my only wish to spread as much joy and happiness as possible, which are almost as endearing as _romance_ itself, indeed! This is why I strongly suggest that seeing Akito later would not be so smart…"

"Eh? You know about it, then?" asked Shigure, tilting his head quizzically.

"We passed Kureno on our way inside," said Hatori, appearing behind Ayame, who placed a hand on his chest, as if to recite a soliloquy.

"I had just arrived myself when I saw Tori here, and then Kureno came out of the house, and _I say_ he looked rather amused. I immediately wondered if Akito was inside, so I stepped forth, brandishing a fist to threaten Kureno's life, and he begged and praised me–!"

"Really?" gushed Tohru, Kagura and Momiji in unison.

"Don't listen to him!" shouted Yuki and Kyo together.

"I'll tell it," said Hatori irritably, slowly pushing Ayame into the room by his shoulder. "Ayame began asking Kureno a number of questions, but in the end he simply replied saying we were to go to the main house later this evening. He said Shigure had the details. So here we are."

"Did he say _why_ we had to go there?" asked Yuki, as Shigure handed Hatori the invitation.

Hatori quickly scanned the contents of the invitation, and then looked up. "I was assuming _you_ knew."

"Perhaps he has finally learned the art of forgiveness," chirped Ayame. "Oh, do forgive me, Shigure!" He retrieved a package from within his flowery gown. "Many happy returns of the day, and may you have much more than life would allow! And of course you will, with me at your side forevermore!"

"Thank you, Aya," said Shigure. The two men high-fived each other as Shigure took the package. He slowly unwrapped it, to reveal a rectangular blue cloth embroidered with a picture of a dog wearing glasses and holding what seemed to be a book.

"What the hell is that?" asked Kyo.

"It's a manuscript cover, silly!" explained Ayame haughtily, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He lifted the cloth up. "Whenever you finish writing a particularly magnificent piece, Shigure, you slip it in here for protection and decoration, but of course!"

"Oh, how cute!" cried Tohru.

"Yes, it is. Thank you, Aya!" said Shigure, nodding his head in appreciation. Kyo wondered if he meant it.

A chorus of 'happy birthday, Shigure' followed. Then, one by one, the rest of the guests began giving their gifts. Hatsuharu's gift was a paperweight in the shape of a dog; Kagura's was a wooden photograph frame engraved with numerous quotes and sayings; Momiji's was a heart-shaped box of a variety of chocolates; and Hatori's was a pen with a built-in digital clock.

"Are you sure I need this more than you do?" Shigure asked Hatori smugly.

Hatori simply shrugged. "Your editor will surely think so."

"Right… ha, I'm sure she will… well, thank you all so much for your wonderful gifts!"

"Oh!" exclaimed Tohru suddenly. "Will you all please excuse me while I prepare the food? I almost forgot, how silly of me!"

"I'll help you!" offered Kagura, before Kyo could, to his disappointment. He had been hoping for a chance to speak to Tohru alone.

"I'll come too!" piped in Momiji excitedly, bouncing on his feet.

"Okay!" said Tohru happily, and all three of them left the room, chattering animatedly.

"So…" murmured Hatsuharu, "about later…?"

"I'm not going!" snapped Kyo.

"Neither am I," agreed Yuki.

"Yes, that _would_ be the smart thing to do," said Ayame, pointing a finger in the air. "Oh who knows what may happen?"

"I don't think we have a choice in the matter," said Hatori softly.

"You're too soft, Hari." Ayame shook his head in obvious disapproval. "I really fail to see how you can listen to Akito when he absolutely ruined your life. Oh, by the way, is Mayu here? I heard she was invited. My, I haven't seen her in quite a while! I think the last time was Kana's wedding–?"

"Yes, yes, she's invited," cut in Shigure hastily. "But, I'm sorry, Aya, but I think I agree with Hatori. We _should_ go later. We were planning to anyway…"

"Well, I'm not going!" yelled Kyo.

"I think you're the chief reason we're invited, Kyo," said Hatori grimly.

"I- what?" Kyo stared at him. "But it said to celebrate Shigure's birthday–! Oh… yeah…" he trailed off into silence as it dawned upon him. Akito wanted to see the two of them. Kyo and Tohru. The event Kyo had been waiting for, and dreading. It was actually going to happen… tonight…

"So Akito's using my birthday as an excuse?" whined Shigure.

"Hey," said Hatsuharu suddenly, "who else is invited?"

Yuki sighed. "Well, according to Miss Honda, other than Miss Mayu Shiragi: Kisa, Hiro, and her friends Uotani and Hanajima. She couldn't quite contact Ritsu and Rin."

"Ah…"

"Fine," muttered Kyo. Everyone turned to look at him, but he kept his head down. "I'll go later… for Tohru's sake."

Silence filled the room once more. The balloons lay forgotten.

oOo

"Who _are_ you, freak bastard?" demanded the blond girl.

Akito let out a short, loud laugh. "That girl has _such_ entertaining friends."

"Listen, you psycho! You let go of us right now or I'll–!"

"Or you'll what?" murmured Akito, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "You can't do anything to me, especially with your friend's life at stake."

"What have you done with Tohru?" asked the dark-haired girl softly.

Akito examined her carefully. "So I assume you're the girl with the psychic powers. I may have some use for you. And don't even think about trying to toy with me."

"Hana, just do it!" yelled the blond girl, struggling with the ropes that bound her wrists and ankles tightly. "Just zap the whammy out of this freak!" She thrashed about wildly, staring at Kureno, who stood a good distance away from them.

Akito noticed where she was looking, and shook his head calmly. "Now that's not the way to behave," he whispered. He approached the woman next to the psychic. "I've heard of you. You were friends with that other ugly girl, Kana…"

"Shut up," said the woman through clenched teeth.

Akito ignored her. "I wonder how Hatori will react when he finds out I have you." He chuckled. "I wonder what he'll feel…"

"Akito, let Kisa go!" cried Hiro, who sat bound next to the blond girl. And to his side –crying, to Akito's delight– was Kisa.

Akito took a few steps towards her, and lifted her chin. She stared at him with fearful, teary eyes as he raised a hand and slapped it across her cheek.

"KISA!" yelled Hiro. Akito kicked him before he could move closer to the girl. He fell on his back, groaning in pain.

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you?" gasped the blond girl. "They're just kids!"

"Kids need discipline," said Akito angrily. "Now, if you don't want anyone else to get hurt, I suggest you silence yourselves."

The blond girl reluctantly closed her mouth, glaring daggers at him. Akito let out another laugh.

"I just love birthdays, don't you?" he sneered.


	13. Mass Confinement

_Thank you all so much for your reviews, I'm happy you like the story. Now here, on with it, and we shall see how fate decides what is to be. Oh, by the way, for your information, I have included spoilers, but only as slight suggestions..._

The Thirteenth Continuing Chapter- Mass Confinement

Akito heard a soft knock on the door, and he smiled. "Come in," he said softly.

There was a soft, swishing noise as the door slid open, and a stammering, high-pitched voice spoke, "Master…t-the guests have arrived."

Akito remained silent for a moment, before waving a hand to dismiss the servant. As the room became his once again, the smile on his face broadened to a point where it almost hurt. Things were going so perfectly. So according to plan.

There was another knock, but the door slid open before Akito could voice permission. Not that the visitor needed it.

"Kureno, help me up." Akito raised a dainty hand, and Kureno's own strong one took it, while the other wrapped around Akito's waist. Akito let out a relieved sigh as he was lifted slowly, gently, to his feet.

"Now help me undress," he ordered. Kureno nodded, and, still holding firm for support, began to untie the sash of Akito's _yukata_. Akito watched as Kureno then proceeded to slide the garment off him.

"Why can't they all be like you…?" he murmured, as the _yukata_ fell to the wooden floor in a motion as quiet as the cherry blossoms' outside. Cool air prickled his bare skin.

"And what am I, Akito?" asked Kureno, picking up the robe and folding it neatly. He let go of Akito for a moment to retrieve the new robes the servant had left behind near the door.

"Loyal," whispered Akito, slipping his arms into the sleeves of the sky-blue robe. He thought he felt Kureno flinch behind him, and at once his anger flared, but then he decided to remain… lenient. For now. _Save it for that monster and his pathetic girlfriend_, he thought with pleasure. _Save it for them all. Traitorous lowlifes. _

"I will always be loyal to you, Akito," said Kureno slowly, almost hesitantly, as he snaked his hands around Akito's waist to tie the sash. Akito turned his head to gaze at Kureno's face; it wore no expression, held no feeling. Suspicious, Akito leaned against Kureno's chest.

"Of course you will," Akito said coolly.

oOo

They were seated in a perfect semicircle, with Tohru Honda as the immediate middle: on one side of her sat Kyo, Hatori, Momiji and Shigure; on the other sat Yuki, Kagura, Ayame and Hatsuharu. Kureno stared at this arrangement, feeling more amused than suspicious – suspicious, as he _should_ be, considering the ones who would be physically the closest to Akito were Shigure and Hatsuharu, two people he hadn't quite learned to trust yet. They were both too unpredictable. Shigure caught Kureno's gaze, and held it, to his surprise. He examined the expression on his cousin's face carefully, and as discreetly as possible: Shigure was unsmiling, but his eyes were playfully twinkling. He must be up to something. He must have a plan. At this thought Kureno broke his gaze, feeling unexpected guilt. How could he do this to them, his own family? And how could he do this to _her_…? Kureno's eyes traveled to the wall adjacent to the one he leaned against. _She_ was behind it, a mere two, small rooms away. A number of confused thoughts crashed into his head.

Why, _why_ did Akito have to punish them all? Kureno bit his lip, knowing the answer all too well. Akito was lonely. But that simple fact didn't justify the pain he had caused to the members of the Sohma family… and their loved ones. There had been Hatori and Kana, a couple whose love Kureno had always both admired and envied. The pain Akito had brought upon them had caused immediate and automatic fear in the rest of the family. After he had hurt Hatori's eye and had had him erase Kana's memories, none of the Zodiac members had wished to anger Akito… save for one. Hatsuharu rebelled, taking interest in Rin, the wild horse, and together both stood against Akito's will. And then young Hiro had followed, professing his mature love for Kisa to Akito.

All four youngsters resulted in physical torment, emotional trauma. Broken relationships.

And then came along Tohru Honda, a girl with such naiveté, such tenderness, and such optimism that Kureno himself had found her alluring. And she was pretty, he couldn't deny that. And so he had watched with interest as she began to attract both Yuki and Kyo, at the same time taming the heat between the two boys. In the end, Kyo had won her heart, and here they sat in the same room as he was in, ready to face Akito as many had done before them. And Kureno knew who would follow in similar footsteps…

But he had yet to decide _when_ to ask Akito's permission of dating Arisa Uotani. Now certainly wasn't the time.

Or was it?

Kureno looked up to see Tohru tremble slightly, and he inhaled deeply, with sympathy, with guilt. _Well, seeing as time is an important factor at the moment, I suppose now would be the appropriate time to change my loyalties…_

oOo

"Okay, I know it's _probably_ my fault we're here," said Uo, rubbing her wrists together in an attempt to loosen the rope that bound them, "but come on, there has to be some way we can get out of this without me having to do everything!"

"Why –ah– not, Uotani?" Mayu struggled with her own ropes, trying with much difficulty to bring her wrists under her. "Not that I'm accusing you of anything, but you _were_ the one who –ugh– _forced_ us to come with that man, when neither of us were even _sure_ he had been telling the truth... _ah_… damn this!"

Uo's head whipped around to scowl at her teacher. "_That man's_ name is Kureno, and don't you dare call him a liar! I bet he didn't know what he was saying when he said the party had been moved!"

Mayu broke her struggle, her mouth dropping open in a pang of astonishment. "Are you telling me you have a _relationship_ with him, Uotani? Isn't he too old…?"

"Shut it!" snapped Uo, her cheeks reddening profusely. "It's none of your business anyway!"

"Do _not_ talk to me in that manner, Uotani! I am your teacher–!"

"Can I interrupt?" cut in a voice that silenced both women out of surprise. They looked over at the boy sitting next to Uo, who had just recovered from the kick he had received, and who was now smirking at them with such intensity that made Uo inch away. "I _really_ wonder if you two even refer to yourselves as adults. And even if we do manage to get loose, there's no way we're leaving this house without Akito knowing. The servants are loyal to him, and not only that, it's _really_ hard to move around when there are five of us, _being quiet at the same time,_ something which apparently you two aren't very good at."

Both women could only gape at the boy, who continued to leer at them as though nothing else mattered but demeaning them into nonexistence.

"So _that's_ Akito…" murmured Mayu, after several silent minutes. "And… who are you?" Suddenly she gasped as realization crashed upon her. "Wait, I know you! You're that punk who Sohma and Honda were talking to yesterday! What's your name… ah, Hiro!"

Hiro shrugged, and then turned to comfort the girl beside him once again – Kisa was her name, Mayu recalled. She leaned forward to examine the pair more intently; the girl was still crying –well, being slapped on the face isn't quite peaches and cream, she mused– and the boy was trying to soothe her with calming words. She immediately felt a surge of sympathy, images of Kana and Hatori flooding into her mind, and then of Kyo Sohma and Tohru Honda. The two kids before her eyes now obviously had the same kind of romantic chemistry, with the way the boy was leaning toward her. Suddenly, Mayu felt utmost respect towards Hiro.

"I can sense Tohru's presence," Hana spoke up unexpectedly, catching even Hiro off-guard. He turned to look at her, eyebrows raised.

"You can _sense_ her presence?" he repeated skeptically. "You _can't_ be serious. And I thought Akito was kidding about the whole psychic thing. So, what, you can read people's minds or something? Is that how you get people to like you?"

"Hey, shut up, brat," snapped Uo.

"Don't tell me to shut up. Do you even have any idea how that simple remark constitutes to child abuse? You could get penalized for that, you know."

Uo gasped, enraged. "Why you–!" She suddenly shut her mouth, seeming to think better of whatever she had been planning to say. She turned back to Hana. "So she's here? Is she okay?"

"She's fine," murmured Hana, gazing dreamily into empty space, "but I'm getting very strange waves from her. She's… afraid. And she's not alone. There are a lot of other people with her, and they all have waves similar to the Sohmas…"

"This _is_ the Sohma main house, you know," pointed out Hiro.

"… but they're more… _turbulent_, like they're afraid, too. Kyo and Yuki are with her. I'm also picking up the white-haired one, Hatsuharu, and the child-like boy Momiji… I recognize Hatori's quiet, delicate waves, and of course Shigure's erratic ones… and then there are other waves I do not recognize, but one seems externally similar to Yuki's. Perhaps his brother… and ah, Kureno is in the same room as well. He seems troubled."

Mayu had heard several rumors about Hanajima Saki, some of which were accusations of her being a witch; others were of her being an angel with demonic powers; but all tied to the same idea that she possessed some sort of power. Mayu had never believed the rumors herself, of course, but now she couldn't help but stare at Hana with newfound fear.

"Troubled?" echoed Uo curiously. "How, troubled?"

Hana glanced at Uo sideways, a slight smile forming on her thin, pale lips. "I can't tell," she said simply. "Oh, his waves have changed. They've become loud, somehow, more terrified. Yes… I can feel him… I can feel them all… nearby, somewhere…"

A sudden idea occurred to Mayu. "Nearby? So okay, come on then! Let's make as much noise as possible!" She opened her mouth to scream, but at the same instant the door to the room slid open, and she inhaled a gasp instead.

"Keep your voices low," said Kureno hastily, softly.

"Kureno!" yelped Uo, her face breaking into an ecstatic expression. Then, as quickly as it had come, it vanished, twisting into an angry glare. "Why'd you bring us here? Who the hell is that Akito freak? Where's Tohru? Kureno, I _swear_–!"

"Uo, please calm down," he said, striding forwards. He glanced over his shoulder quickly. "Akito, or the _servants_ for that matter, might hear you."

"Let them hear!" snapped Uo, resuming her violent struggle with her ropes. "I can't believe it; you surprise us out of _nowhere_, tell us that Shigure's party's been moved to another place, take us in your car to this house, and then have the _nerve_ to tie us up! And now you have the _nerve_ to show your… your _damned_ handsome face to us again, telling us to _please calm down_? Let me tell you something, I AM calm!"

Hiro let out a loud snort. "If that's how you are when you're calm, I'd really hate to see you overreact."

Uo shot him a steely glare. "Shut up, prig!"

"Uo, _please_!" said Kureno, his deep voice raised slightly above a whisper. She turned to him, eyes narrowed, but lips pursed into a thin line. "Thank you. Now, everyone is in the room two doors down, the meeting area, including your friend Tohru Honda. Akito is to meet them in a matter of minutes. I–" He paused as a sudden, quiet _clang _distracted him. He whirled around to face the sliding door. "No…" he murmured.

"What? What is it?" demanded Uo, dragging herself forward.

"They locked us in, obviously," said Hiro nonchalantly. Kisa let out a particularly loud sob then, and he turned to her immediately. "It'll be okay, Kisa, don't cry. We'll get out of here."

"Wait, wait," cut in Mayu, as Kureno bolted towards the door. "Isn't that a _paper_ door? Aren't we surrounded by _paper_ walls? To state the obvious, can't we just _break _through to get out?"

Kureno looked up at her, face set in grim frown. "That wouldn't help. There are metal bars outside the walls, surrounding the entire room." He grabbed the wooden hatch of the door, and slid it open. Mayu leaned sideways, and gasped as she saw thick, iron bars blocking the doorway. "I'm such a fool," Kureno muttered, clutching a bar.

"What the hell is this place, a mental asylum?" screamed Uo.

"Uo, please calm down…"

"How can I, Kureno? We're _literally_ barred in! Oh, this _is_ a seriously messed-up family…"

"Indeed it is," murmured Hana.

"Don't you have the key?" questioned Mayu, trying to resist the surge of panic that threatened to crack her voice. "How'd you get in? Don't tell me Akito was _that_ confident to keep us in a room left unlocked."

Kureno nodded his head once. "He was," he said curtly, simply. "And I was a fool to not have realized his intentions. And in any case, were I to have the key, he would have taken it lest I do this sort of thing. Help you escape, that is." He let out a short, dry chuckle, as he turned to walk back towards the group. "I sincerely apologize. Akito plans to keep all of you here, for as long as Kyo Sohma and Tohru Honda walk unscathed by his wrath. That's all I know. Well… the most I can do now is to untie you." He gazed at them for a moment, so thoughtfully as if his mind was in complete turmoil. Then he knelt down in front of Uo, and began to undo the knots that tied her ankles together.

oOo

Kyo felt Tohru shiver next to him, and he grasped her hand in an attempt to comfort her. Her skin was cold, not to his surprise. For as long as he could remember, the main house had had a tendency to affect him like that. "Hey," he whispered, leaning his head closer to hers, "it's gonna be okay, Tohru, trust me."

"I know it will," she said brightly, with a smile that seemed too large to be genuine. Despite this, Kyo grinned back, squeezing her hand gently. She nodded, taking a deep breath. He acted likewise.

"Akito sure is taking his time," murmured Yuki. As Kyo automatically looked up at him, he realized the truth in the comment, and turned to where Kureno had been standing only minutes before. It usually took Akito _seconds_ to arrive after he had been informed of a visitor's arrival. _More time for physical abuse_, thought Kyo sourly. It was then he noticed that Tohru wasn't the only showing signs of intense emotion: Yuki's hands were balled up into fists so tight his pale knuckles were made paler; Momiji was squirming uncomfortably, fidgeting with his flowery hat; Ayame and Shigure were engaged in an animated, nonsensical conversation that had both men gesture more often than necessary; and Kagura was singing and rocking herself back and forth. Only Hatori and Hatsuharu appeared to be calm, but Kyo knew that even they were experiencing wild adrenaline rushes. Perhaps even shortness of breath, what he was suffering now. _I swear if I faint I'm going to curse Akito to depths beyond hell._

"Well, this sucks," said Hatsuharu in a monotone, grabbing his neck with one hand and tilting his head. Moments later, a cracking noise followed the gesture.

"Don't do that, Haru!" squealed Momiji, burying his face against Hatori's shoulder. "It's gross!"

"Even though you're a kid, you're still a _guy_ kid!" said Kyo irritably. "And guys _do_ stuff like cracking their neck! You want gross, you think that's gross? Check this out…" He let go of Tohru's hand and, using the palm of either of his hands, proceeded to successively crack each and every finger. Momiji let out a wail.

"Hatoriii!" he bawled, now clutching the doctor's shoulder, "Kyo's making disgusting noises! Make him stop!"

"Kyo, stop it," said Hatori automatically, with hardly a change of expression.

"That's rookie work," remarked Hatsuharu, eyebrows raised in mild amusement, eyes sparked with challenge. "Now _this_ is expertise…" He stood up, and lifted both arms in front of him. Kagura stopped singing to watch him in interest. One arm twitched, and a loud, sickening crack emitted from the wrist, and Momiji let out another wail. The arm twitched again, but this time the crack came from the elbow joint. And with another twitch, a series of cracks began to ride up along the arm, finally ending with a large, bone-grating crack at the shoulder blade. Hatsuharu lowered the arm, and raised the other higher. "And now for this one…" Several groans filled the room.

"HARUUU!" screamed Momiji, tears beginning to clutter in his wide eyes. Kyo, his pride now insulted, stood up and glared at Hatsuharu, who smirked back.

"That's nothing, damn cow!"

"Oh, cease and desist, please," moaned Shigure, and Momiji nodded vigorously in agreement. "The sound of cracking disturbs me to my very bone. Oh, that's funny… isn't that funny, Hari? Cracking and bone…"

"You lame wuss!" snapped Kyo, lifting one leg. Hatsuharu let out a loud laugh.

"Kyo, you look really stupid like that, don't you know?" he said, straightening his arm. "What are you gonna do, wave your feet to crack it? Like I said, rookie work. That's how far you got with training on the mountains?"

"You _both_ look really stupid like that," said Yuki tiredly.

"Hey, I bet you can't crack a thing, damn girly man!" challenged Kyo. "You're too delicate, too frail, aren't ya? Let's see you do this!" He jerked his leg to one side, and multiple cracks sounded. Both Momiji and Tohru let out a shriek.

"I won't stoop to your level, thanks," said Yuki casually.

"You damn rat, what _level_! You're just chicken –no, mouse! And you, damn cow! For your information, my training brought me real far and I bet I can beat you, right here, right now!"

A sudden change came over Hatsuharu. His eyes darkened alarmingly, and his mouth twisted into a maniacal grin.

"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Ayame, and he quickly crawled to the other side to Shigure's side. "My, this _is_ exciting, is it not, my dear 'Gure? Haru's gone Black, and now he and Kyo are to engage in a fierce battle of emotion! This is _quite_ the romantic drama…"

"_What_ ROMANTIC, bastard?" bellowed Kyo angrily, striding forwards with a fist raised. But before he could reach the Snake he was grabbed by his shirt and pulled sideways roughly.

"Come on, Kyo!" said Hatsuharu, as Kyo knocked his hand away. "Let's settle this once and for all. We never got to finish our fight, remember? Or should I refresh your memory for you?" He turned his head and his mouth made a kissing gesture towards Tohru, who gasped and flushed scarlet.

"THAT'S IT!" yelled Kyo madly, bulleting a fist in Hatsuharu's direction. The action was blocked, and countered by a rapid kick. Hatsuharu's foot narrowly missed Kyo's stomach, and Kyo grabbed it and proceeded to twist it. Hatsuharu retaliated by twisting his entire body and slamming his other foot against Kyo's cheek. Pain exploded in his face, and he staggered back.

"Is that all you have?" laughed Hatsuharu, but a fist suddenly connected with his jaw, and he was thrown backwards, landing but a few feet away from Kagura, who had shrunk away from the pair as far as possible. He immediately flipped back onto his feet, the previous smirk on his face now replaced with an angry scowl.

"I'm just warming up, damn cow," said Kyo through clenched teeth, rubbing his bruised face.

"Stop it, you two," spoke up Hatori loudly. "Fighting isn't going to get you anywhere. And Akito is going to be here soon, so I suggest you both sit down and stay quiet."

"Yes, that would be a wise thing to do," drawled a quiet voice.

The atmosphere in the room shifted suddenly, becoming thick with cold fear, freezing everyone into stone shock. Kyo watched with horror as Akito walked up to him, vividly conscious of the fact that Tohru sat behind, vulnerable, alone, without him.

"Sit down, monster," Akito whispered. Kyo bit his lip, fighting the urge to obey and thus claim surrender to the one person he loathed more than anything else in the world. He remained standing, trying not to step back as Akito moved even closer. It was so easy to hit him right now…

"I said, sit down," he repeated, this time with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Why the hell should we listen to you?" said Hatsuharu suddenly. Kyo turned to him; he had completely forgotten Black Haru's presence. Akito shifted his gaze, eyes glowering with evident fury.

"For a matter of reasons," he sneered. "And I shall demonstrate one right now." He lowered a hand into a pocket of his _yukata_, and slowly lifted a large iron key. He began to move backwards, step by step towards the door.

Something about Akito's movements disturbed Kyo. It seemed all too familiar, the situation. And then it hit him, like an agonizing ton of bricks, and he whirled around. Yuki was staring at Akito with a distorted expression of panic, fear and hysteria. They were going to be locked in. Punished, confined. Just like Yuki had been years before.

Kyo bolted towards the door, but it had slid closed before he had even moved. There was a loud, clanging noise. Kyo flung the paper door to the side, gasping at the bars that blocked their way to freedom. And Akito stood behind them, smiling with satisfaction.

"Got you," he whispered.


	14. Revelation

**A/N: **I'm getting tired of rhyming stuff in my author's notes… so for the first time, I'm showing my true random self to the public! Interesting but fun change, isn't it? And I suppose this way it makes things seem more personal. So I would like to thank ALL the reviewers and ALL those who favorite-d this story and ALL those who even bothered to read it! I love you all! And mind you, this _may_ be the longest chapter yet… I actually hope it makes sense to you readers, but please don't judge; I've been working on it a long time! Anyway, happy reading!

The Fourteenth Continuing Chapter- Revelation

It was as if the air itself was beating against her chest; every breath she took was raspy, painful. And this was certainly not made any better by the ringing in her ears caused by Kyo's hard inflictions upon the iron bars.

"DAMN YOU!" Kyo cried for the second time. But the cry was merely a thunderous buzz to Tohru. Then an odd ripping noise sounded, and Tohru looked up to see Kyo tearing the paper walls clean off, to reveal a whole length of cold metal, with yet another paper wall behind them. With another cry, Kyo lashed at it, mercilessly kicking and tugging the paper through the bars until only they stood as the barrier to freedom.

Tohru squeezed her eyes shut and clasped both hands over her ears in an attempt to shield herself from distractions and noises of any sort. Her own thoughts were too loud for her to take any more.

_Why, why, WHY is Akito doing this to us? Why is he keeping us all in here, locked up inside a… cage? Mom, oh Mom, please help me, please help us. What are we going to do? What is Akito going to do? I'm scared, Mom, and I know I shouldn't be. I should be brave, like you told me to always be, but this is so hard! Everyone could get hurt because of me! It's my fault we're in here, because I fell in love… _

"Tohru, this is anything _but _your fault," said a soothing voice that cut through her thoughts like an oddly amiable knife. For a wild, fleeting moment, Tohru thought the voice belong to her mother's, but, as she tentatively opened an eye, saw that it was actually Kagura's. The pretty Boar smiled at her reassuringly and took a hold of Tohru's hands, pulling them away from her ears.

"Tohru, this is _not _your fault," Kagura repeated. It was then Tohru realized she had been voicing her last few thoughts aloud, and she blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm afraid, too, Tohru," said Momiji, appearing before Tohru with wide, childlike eyes. "We're all afraid, and I bet even _Kyo's_ afraid! But we can get through this, because we're together, Tohru."

"B-but I…" spluttered Tohru, unable to continue for lack of breath. She inhaled deeply, and clutched her chest as the gesture proved to be too painful. Her lungs seemed to have been bound, constricted by a metallic wire that threatened to rip through them completely.

_No… I have to be brave. I have to be, for everyone's sake. Mom, what would you do at times like this? Oh, wait a minute; did you ever go to jail, Mom? I don't think you did… you're too nice! Oh, but you _were_ the Red Butterfly… maybe…? No, you would've told me, right? Yes, I suppose you would…_

"Hatori," called Kagura, her voice now a shaky hum in Tohru's ears, "I think Tohru can't breathe."

Clouds began to swirl before Tohru's eyes, a mixture of white and a smoky gray. At the same time she felt two strong hands grasp her shoulders, and she realized with a shake of her head that she had mistaken Hatori's formal suit for clouds. She tried to giggle at her own silliness, but the wire had tightened around her lungs.

_It's like I'm in jail now, Mom! I don't think you would've liked it… _I_ don't like it. Oh no! I'm being negative! No, sorry, Mom, it's nice to be in jail. I have my friends here with me. Kagura and Momiji are being so kind to me! And Hatori is going to help me breathe! I can't breathe at the moment, Mom. I think I'm so overwhelmed with everything… and… I'm scared… I don't know what to think anymore, Mom! I miss you so much! _

"Kyo, Yuki, everyone get back," said Hatori. His muffled voice was followed by a series of harsh murmurs that rumbled through Tohru's ears.

_Oh, Mom, do you love the Sohmas? I do… so very much. I don't know what I'll be without them. And Kyo… but all this IS my fault. If I hadn't fallen in love with Kyo, and if he hadn't fallen in love with me, we wouldn't be in this… would we? Akito did say before that he would lock up Kyo no matter what. Oh, there _must_ be something I can do to make him change his mind! _

"Tohru, Tohru," called Hatori gently. "Tohru, can you hear me?"

Tohru nodded weakly, but then doubted she had even moved her head when Hatori repeated the question.

"Tohru, can you hear me? Kagura, will you help me… I need her to sit up straight with her back against the wall… here, to the corner…"

Tohru felt herself being slowly pushed back, with much difficulty on her part: her head felt like an anvil weighing tons of thoughts down on her shoulders. _But wait… someone also told me that there was a reason Kyo was going to be locked up. Yuki was telling me about it the other day, he was, wasn't he? He was saying that Akito wouldn't lock Kyo up if not for punishment… but oh, what could it be? I know this… someone told me... _

A pale blur formed before Tohru's eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to distinguish the blur, but it kept moving in a most irregular manner.

"Please stop moving…" she croaked, feeling the familiar sensation of nausea well up in her throat.

"She's starting to slide into unconsciousness," said Hatori's voice, barely recognizable to Tohru now. "Tohru, Tohru, focus now, I'm not moving at all. Can you hear me? Can you breathe easier?"

"Dammit, Tohru, snap out of it!" screamed another, disfigured voice.

"Kyo, I told you to stay back!"

_Kyo…? Oh, Mom, he's the most wonderful person I've ever met. Oh, I mean Yuki and Shigure are wonderful, too, of course. Also Hatori, Hatsuharu… Momiji… K-Kagura… Ritsu, Rin… Hiro, Kisa… Ayame and Kureno, too… did I forget anyone, Mom? Oh well, everyone is wonderful, Mom. But Kyo… he's the most wonderful. Why didn't you ever tell me that kissing could be fun, Mom?_

"Tohru, listen to me, stop talking to yourself! You have to focus, Tohru!"

Darkness. The shifting blur before Tohru was beginning to fade into complete, empty darkness. It started to envelope her into a warm embrace, consoling and soothing her. The thoughts in her head began to dissipate into the darkness, as if they, too, yearned for comfort.

And then she felt no more.

oOo

"Just don't move her," ordered Hatori, gently pulling Tohru by her feet so that she sat in a position that prevented her head from falling forward. "She needs to stay propped up like this, to allow her lungs to expand. She'll wake up soon."

Kyo snorted in apprehensive disbelief. "I _knew_ we shouldn't have come!" he yelled, throwing up a fist in exasperation. "I just _knew_ it!"

"There was no way of avoiding this, Kyo," said Yuki softly.

All the hatred, fear and anger Kyo had been keeping beneath the surface for Tohru's sake, built up over years of fighting to establish the fact that he _belonged_ to the family; that he was a human being and _not_ a monster; that he deserved to be _happy_, suddenly snapped.

"AVOIDING THIS?" Kyo bellowed, whipping around to face Yuki, who took a cautious step backwards. "What the DAMN hell are you on about, rat? What, just because YOU'RE scared of Akito, WE have to be scared? I swear you're like his _puppet_ or something! I'm only scared for _Tohru's_ sake, dammit, because she matters to me more than any of you combined! You know what, I've never, EVER, felt happier in my entire life because of her! I used to think myself as a MONSTER before she came along and made me see otherwise! Before she came, I was on the brink of KILLING myself, did you know that?! I thought that I didn't matter to anyone, especially Akito, and I felt that deep inside Shishou didn't care too much for me, either, despite how he treated me. I _knew_ that I was better off _dead_! But I wanted to live… I was afraid of dying, how stupid is that? I _had_ to die but… I didn't _want_ to…" Kyo's voice dropped to a hushed tone, and he looked away from Yuki's appalled gaze. "So I thought that if I was distracted by something, I wouldn't feel… hurt, anymore. I decided that I had to set a goal or something, to keep myself busy. So I set the goal of beating you, rat. I admit that the Zodiac myth always bothered me, not as much as _being_ the Cat, but it bothered me enough. I thought that training to fight and beat you would distract me from any kind of pain. And it did, for a while. Until Akito decided to make it more amusing for himself."

He snorted in disgust, at the same time in compensation for the tears that were starting to sting his eyes. "He always believed I was a monster, so he said, 'what better way is there than treating a monster by locking it up? Oh, I know, by humiliating him first!' Aaargh… damn him… and he said that if I didn't beat Yuki, he'd lock me up. So I'd get both the humiliation of losing and of being jailed like an animal. Oh yeah, I forgot you all _knew_ that… but… Tohru didn't. That's one thing I love about her, she's no damn naïve. You know, she told me that she was going to make it right with Akito, for whatever I did. She said she was going to make sure he would forgive me. She's determined to see that I don't get locked up. And here we are… both of us… locked up together… why… why the _hell_ is Akito doing this to her? I love her so much… she doesn't deserve this… and… I-I was planning to… run away… with her… before we ever got the chance to see… A-Akito…"

Kyo couldn't hold the tears any longer: he let out a soft sob, his body crumpling to the floor. The pain that gripped his heart was too much to bear. And yet there was so much more he wanted to say. To make them all understand. To make them see him through Tohru's eyes. He didn't care about his pride anymore, not with the confessions he had just spilled. He had revealed himself. He had shown that he was only _human_.

oOo

Yuki didn't know what to say. The sight of Kyo on the ground, crying a fast river of tears into his fists, was just too pathetic for him to convey any appropriate words of meaning. So he opted to stare at him instead, helplessly. Sympathetically. And for once in his life, he was seeing Kyo in a different light.

Something about Kyo's words had struck Yuki deep, although he couldn't quite discern it. But for certain, Yuki had never felt more pity for Kyo than he did now: a feat that surprised even him. Of course, the others were gazing at Kyo in a similar commiserating manner, but then Yuki knew that _his_ pity was of more significance: Kyo was his enemy. His _mythical_ rival. Or at least, he was.

Hatsuharu –no longer Black– glanced at Yuki with raised eyebrows, as though he knew what he was thinking, which was usually the case more often than Yuki liked to admit. He shrugged back.

"Should we do something?" Hatsuharu mouthed. "I feel weird."

Instinctively, Yuki shook his head. For all the years he'd known Kyo, he knew Kyo _crying _was a state rarely seen, and thus best left unnoticed. However, Kagura seemed to know better.

"It's okay, Kyo…" she murmured, crouching down and settling a slightly unsteady hand on Kyo's trembling shoulder. "You could've said something, you know, whenever we used to, well, hang out."

Kyo let out a grunt that indicated either disgust or frustration, it was difficult to tell. "It never… occurred to me to tell you, Kagura," he muttered, hastily wiping the tears off his cheeks with his sleeve. "And… dragging me wherever you go doesn't count as 'hanging out'. Just so you know."

Kagura let out a soft chuckle, but Yuki could see her eyes contort slightly in pain – which, obviously, suggested she still harbored feelings for Kyo. She then breathed out a barely inaudible sigh, and patted Kyo's shoulder. "It was… really brave of you, to, you know, tell us your feelings like that," she whispered.

"Yeah, whatever…" Kyo mumbled, propping up one leg and resting an arm on the kneecap. He glanced askance at Tohru, who still lay unconscious.

The simple gesture struck Yuki with a hard pang, but not of jealousy. Not anymore. Although his lips still trembled at the mere thought of Tohru's own, he knew Tohru wasn't for him. And he wasn't for her, without a doubt. The pang was of realization; it had taken him a fight, a kiss, and then confinement, to feel it. And then, quite suddenly, an idea smacked into his head.

"KYO!" he cried, startling not only Kyo, but everyone in the room. "Sorry," he said, lowering his voice. "Kyo, what did Akito say _exactly_, about you fighting me?"

"What?" Kyo stared at him irritably with bloodshot eyes. "I just _did_. Don't rub it in my face, you damn ra–"

"Just tell me, and quietly! I have an idea!"

Kyo frowned. "He said that if I didn't beat you, he'd lock me up. There, simple, now will you–"

"Did he say anything about the fight itself? I mean, what were his terms, that the fight be a _physical_ one? Did he actually say that?"

"What the hell are you talking about? No, he didn't. He just said what I just told you, that he'd lock me up if I didn't beat you! That's it, that's all he said! What are you on about?"

Yuki felt a surge of excitement. His plan might just work. "Listen, if you're sure he didn't say _anything_ about terms and conditions…"

"I'm sure!" snapped Kyo. "I'm not stupid enough to forget anything Akito says, as much as I want to!"

Yuki considered Kyo's words for a moment, before turning to a bewildered Shigure. "Okay, I have a plan, but I need your help, and Hatori's and Haru's help, too. Listen…"

oOo

Kureno tried to angle his head between the iron bars in such a way that he saw down the corridor, but the bars were too thick, the spaces between them too narrow, for him to see anything. He was certain that the others had been locked in as well, with the hammering and yelling that had rung through the corridor earlier. Not to mention the strange ripping noise. There was only silence now, but he didn't want to risk calling out lest Akito appeared and made matters worse.

A sudden movement caught Kureno's eye. He squinted, and realized that someone was leaning against the wall between the two rooms –someone who hadn't been there minutes before, for certain. A servant, more likely; Akito wasn't one to leave his 'captives' unguarded for too long. Perhaps that servant had the key…

"Kureno, what are you doing?" asked Uo loudly.

Kureno held out a hand to silence her, watching warily as the servant tilted his head, and walked up to him.

"Master Kureno, please stand away from the door," said the servant in a high-pitched voice. On closer inspection, Kureno realized the servant was a young girl, one of the newly-hired ones at that. "Master Akito would find it highly suspicious."

Kureno gazed at the girl, taking in her heart-shaped face, her wide blue eyes and thin lips. "If I am Master to you, then you should listen to me, yes?"

The girl's cheeks colored into a pale shade of pink, but she kept her face taut. "I should, but Master Akito has forbidden me to do so."

"Then I'd refrain from referring to me as Master, if I were you," said Kureno softly.

The girl nodded once, her blush deepening. "Um… right, o-of course, Ma– Kureno," she stammered, wringing her hands together in a very Tohru-like manner.

"Right. Now, do you have the key to this door?" he asked politely, clutching the bars with both hands and leaning closer to the girl. She took a cautious step backward.

"It's not my place to say," she replied curtly. "I-I mean, I'm not supposed to tell you."

"I'm merely asking a curious question," said Kureno, leaning his forehead against the cold metal of a single bar. "The situation is in your hands otherwise. Anyhow, you just told me you _do_ have the key."

"I don't!" squealed the girl, her eyes widening in panic. "I swear I don't! Master Akito only sent me here to watch over you and the others! But I don't have the key, I–!"

"Hush, now…" murmured a toneless voice beside Kureno. He jumped in surprise on seeing the girl called Hanajima next to him; she had been a far distance from him –behind Uo to be precise– moments ago. Perhaps he had been too distracted to hear her approach.

"Why are you afraid?" asked Hanajima, her empty eyes boring into the servant's own. Kureno took an instinctive step away from her.

"I… I DON'T KNOW!" the servant cried, clutching her head and violently shaking it, as if in agony. "I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW!"

"I'll tell you why," whispered Hanajima, tilting her head sideways. The servant suddenly froze, staring at Hanajima with glazed eyes. Then, with her hands still grasping her head, she walked up to the door.

"What are you doing to her?" asked Kureno, slightly alarmed.

"Oh, nothing that'll hurt her physically," replied Uo, who had come up behind Hanajima. She glared at Kureno. "You were flirting with her!"

Kureno stared at Uo in genuine shock. "I was not _flirting_ with her, Uotani. How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Oh, _please_! You couldn't get enough of her! You were so close to her you were practically _kissing_ her!" She let out a loud gasp. "You _did_ kiss her, didn't you? When you thought I wasn't looking, you kissed her! And what the hell were you two talking about anyway? You _shushed_ me so you could talk to her!" Oh, you were _so_ flirting…"

"Uotani, I was not flirting," repeated Kureno impatiently. "For your information, I was trying to sway her into freeing us–"

"That's called flirting!" hissed Uo.

"_That's_ called psychological manipulation. And I certainly did not _shush_ you…"

"You put up your hand–!"

"Kureno, grab her," said Hanajima suddenly, her words distracting both Uo and Kureno. "Grab the girl, and hold her to the door, while I have her… preoccupied."

"What? I – why?"

"Oh, move it, you're too damn slow," snapped Uo, lunging forward and thrusting her arms out between the bars. Kureno watched in amazement as she then seized the servant's shoulders and pulled her to the door, wrapping both arms around the girl's thin neck. "Okay, now what, Hana?"

"Now, we need Kureno unconscious," murmured Hana.

It took quite a while for Kureno to comprehend her words, but before he did, he felt a numbing blow to the back of his head. He slid to the floor and plunged into total darkness.

oOo

Akito turned the corner, and halted. What met his eyes was not a simple, clean paper wall as he had expected, but a number of thick, rusted bars. And behind them, standing amidst a flood of torn paper and wooden splinters, was Yuki, staring at Akito in an almost challenging manner.

"Well, it looks like you've managed to busy yourself," said Akito casually, approaching the bars.

"The credit goes to Kyo," said Yuki in a similar composed tone, "just for your information."

Akito felt a familiar surge of anger. "Oh, really?" he sneered, his eyes automatically searching for the Cat, and finding him in the far corner of the room with an apparently unconscious Tohru Honda. Akito let out a laugh. "Oh, so the ugly girl fainted, did she? I should've known she was rather too… delicate, shall I say?"

To his surprise, Yuki chuckled. "Akito, Akito…" he murmured, stepping closer to the bars. "You must be blind to call Miss Honda ugly."

Akito stared at Yuki, outraged. "How dare you insult me!" he snapped. "How _dare_ you–!"

"And just what are you going to do about it?" interrupted Shigure, appearing next to Yuki with a smile of feigned innocence on his face. "We're already locked in, so what else can you do?"

Akito returned the smile all too gladly. _They think they're so smart_. "Oh, I can do _so_ much more, Shigure. I can hurt you, even with you _locked up_. Do you happen to know a Mayuko Shiragi?"

The smile remained fixed on Shigure's face, but the edges of his mouth twitched slightly. Akito smirked in satisfaction. "Ah, so you do…"

"No, I do not," answered Shigure lightly, but, to Akito's silent amusement, he exchanged an anxious glance with Yuki.

"Oh, well, that's too bad then. Because… I also have her in my captivity. And she's not feeling too well at the moment, I'm afraid."

"What?" Hatori strode up to Shigure's side.

Akito took a step closer to them, his smile broadening. "Oh, yes, I'm sure you know her, Hatori. She _was_, after all, Kana's best friend."

"I beg to differ," said Ayame loudly, raising a hand and twirling it with a flair too feminine for Akito's liking, "but she IS Kana's best friend, not _was_."

Akito narrowed his eyes, feeling his patience waver. "I wouldn't be too sure about that," he hissed. "And don't even think about trying to escape."

"But what if we have reason to?" inquired Yuki coolly.

Akito stared at him for a moment, slightly taken aback by his question. "And what reason could you _possibly_ have?" he demanded, taking another, unconscious step forward. His face was now merely inches away from the bars, almost close enough to feel the cool air radiating from the rusted metal.

Yuki lifted his head slightly, so that his eyes stood level with Akito's own. "Tell me, Akito, you planned to lock up Kyo in the case I beat him in a fight, is that correct?"

Akito's mouth dropped open in surprise, but he regained his composure quickly with a clear of his throat. "Is that any business of yours?" he murmured haughtily.

"Well, of course of it is. Need I remind you that Kyo is my cousin?" One of Yuki's eyebrows lifted, almost in smugness.

Akito was close to trembling with rage, so close that his voice almost shook. "What of it?" he said through clenched teeth. It took all his conscience to resist the urge of beating against the metal bars; Yuki had spoken to him in a very rude, if not _spiteful_, manner. This was not to be tolerated, oh no.

"Well, I demand that you release him," said Yuki coolly.

Akito's resistance finally caved: he raised a hand and crashed the palm against a single bar. Pain flared up his arm in an instant, but he hardly cared to notice it. "YOU _DEMAND_ THAT I RELEASE HIM?" he screamed.

"He SHOULD be released!" yelled Yuki. "He won in a fight, he WON, Akito! He beat me!"

Akito froze, his eyes darting from Yuki to Kyo, and back again. "W-what?" he spluttered. A figure down the corridor suddenly caught his eye, but he ignored it.

"_He beat me_," repeated Yuki, in an oddly low tone. "He beat me, all right? He won!"

"H-how did he–?"

"He took Tohru away from me!" cried Yuki.

Once Yuki's words had sunk in, Akito let out a mirthless chuckle. "Well, that's your loss, my dear Yuki. And why should I release Kyo? I don't care if he lost or not, he still deserves to be locked up because he is a MONSTER. AND he disobeyed me by falling in _love_ with _that_ girl! The same for you, Yuki, how could _you_ have fallen for such an ugly girl? No, do you know what she is? She's a poor excuse for a human being, that's what she is!"

"NO!" yelled Shigure suddenly, catching Akito off-guard. "_YOU'RE_ THE POOR EXCUSE!"

And then, in a movement so swift that Akito barely had time to register it, two hands enclosed around his neck, and began to wring the skin tightly.

"That wasn't part of the plan!" Akito heard Yuki shout.

His vision was flashing alarmingly, his throat searing with an agonizing fire. Panic began to rush through him, gripping his pounding heart like the fingers that grasped his neck –Shigure's fingers, with fervor as unbelievingly livid as the look on his face.

An odd noise distracted him for a second, for a single, fleeting moment: a _poof_, it sounded like; and a colored smoke swelled behind Shigure's head. But Akito dismissed it quickly, grabbing Shigure's wrists in a weak attempt to pull away. The grip on his neck only tightened. His vision began to swirl dizzyingly; the pain in his throat seemed as though each and every living muscle was being ripped out of him and torn into a thousand strands. This was it, his death. He had been wondering when its arrival would dawn upon him: an arrival most inevitable. And now, here it was, brought upon him by the hands of his own flesh and blood.

A single tear rolled down his numb cheek. Did they all really want him to die that badly? _Well… I hope this satisfies you, then, traitorous lowlifes._


	15. Lack of Restrictions

**A/N**: Thank you ALL and I love you ALL! So many reviews for the previous chapter! I'm all happy-happy because the story's getting amazing feedback. So, here's the most-awaited chapter! At least most awaited by me… this chapter contains something I've been dying to write about ever since the first chapter! Haha read and find out what!! Thanks much again!!

By the way, this chapter may seem long because most of the parts are intertwined with one another, to explain a few things here and there, but the actual progression of the chapter is very quick in reality in terms of the story. I mean, how long can Akito survive being choked anyway??

The Fifteenth Continuing Chapter- Lack of Restrictions

"NO! _YOU'RE_ THE POOR EXCUSE!"

Yuki gasped as Shigure suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Akito's neck. The intention of the gesture only struck Yuki when he saw Akito eyes bulge in apparent terror, and he grabbed Shigure's shoulder.

"That wasn't part of the plan!" he yelled, but his cousin ignored him. He was about to speak again when he felt his own shoulders being grasped.

"I suggest you stick to your plan, little brother," said Ayame hastily, dragging Yuki towards Tohru, who still lay unconscious in the corner of the room. "I'm certain Shigure will release Akito once you get the key…"

"But–!" Before Yuki could finish, he was shoved forward –hard. He stumbled and fell on all fours, narrowly missing Tohru's legs. However, he felt another rough push, and he reflexively thrust an arm out to grab a hold of something to regain his balance, which so happened to be Tohru's feet. Before he knew it, he was buried waist-deep in his own clothing, his vision smothered by wisps of a familiar smoke.

"AYAME!" he yelled, glaring up at the looming figure of his brother while struggling to free himself from the maze that was his garments.

"Now, scuttle off and get the key," said Ayame in a tone both anxious and excited, flapping his hands in Akito's direction.

"Go, damn rat!" snapped Kyo, who had stepped to Ayame's side and was now engaged in a game in which his eyes darted back and forth between the brothers in order to supply both with hints of his evident annoyance.

Yuki's face pulled what he hoped was a scowl, as he bounded towards his murderer of a cousin. _These idiots never stick to _any_ plan whatsoever_, he thought irritably. _Exactly what part of 'distract Akito' means '_kill_ Akito'? Honestly…_

As he neared the struggling pair, he chanced a glance up at Akito, and instantly regretted it. Akito's face had become a gruesome shade of blue, his mouth frozen in a silent scream, eyes swollen to a point where the veins protruded like a wiry web. The sight sickened Yuki so much that it rendered him immobile for a few, horrific seconds. It was only when a sudden glint caught his eye did he jerk back into reality; his beady eyes found the source at once, and he slipped his way between the bars into the corridor, gaze locked on the head of a key that jutted out from one of the pockets of Akito's _yukata. _He jumped, his tiny claws catching the cotton threads of the robe with ease, and he quickly made his way up.

oOo

Kyo heaved a sigh of relief as Ayame flounced over to Shigure, and he knelt to the floor next to Tohru. As of that moment he wanted nothing more than to gaze at her peaceful state, to ignore the disconcerting grunts from a dying Akito. Dying…

There was a part of Kyo that despised what has happening, that his own cousin was literally _strangling_ Akito. There was no doubt that Akito deserved punishment, but _death_? No one did really deserve death, so Akito was no exception. However, there was also another, larger part of Kyo that wanted it all to end, the pain and suffering. He wanted all of them, most particularly Tohru and himself, to be free of torture, of rules, of fear. That part of Kyo would also have him happily choose the curse for _eternity_, than dwell in a life that mingled with Akito's existence.

A sudden stir from Tohru made him start: he quickly clutched her shoulders and gently shook them. "Tohru, can you hear me?" he asked anxiously. To his delight, she opened an eye groggily.

"Kyo…?" she murmured, lifting her head heavily. Then, she must have caught sight of Akito, for she suddenly jerked forward and buried her face in Kyo's chest. "KYO!" she yelled in fear.

"It's okay, Tohru!" gasped Kyo, startled. He automatically wound his arms around her, and stroked her tangled hair soothingly. That's when it hit him.

He wasn't transforming.

oOo

"I can't believe you actually hit him!" shrieked Uo, glaring over her shoulder at her teacher with incredulous anger. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Hey, I told you to never talk to me like that, Uotani. And you heard Hanajima; she said we needed him unconscious." Mayu let out a loud grunt as she dragged Kureno's limp body to the far side of the room.

"Yeah, speaking of which, can I ask what _you_ were thinking, Hana?" Uo turned her head and glowered at her friend, who merely shrugged.

"Oh, just to make it seem we're being serious about escaping," she said tonelessly.

"But what good is holding _her_ gonna do?" demanded Uo, motioning to the servant she still held captive, whose head was slumped forward lifelessly. "I'm seriously _not_ understanding this, Hana! And what the hell are you doing to her?"

"I don't know, actually," murmured Hana, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her inky hair, "but in any case, this is just to alert anyone holding the key to this door. Akito, particularly."

There was a loud snort behind her. "Do you honestly think he'll let us out of here that easily?" asked Hiro scornfully, gazing at all of them with a disbelieving eyes. He waved a hand in the air carelessly. "And for a minute I actually thought you were on to something there. He doesn't care about any of the servants, and for sure he doesn't care about Kureno. We can all go to _hell_ for all he cares. This is just going to amuse him."

"We can't know that for sure without trying," whispered Hana, who had barely even moved. "All right, Uo, hold her tightly. I'm going to release her."

"Release?" repeated Uo, but she thrust her arms out even further so that she could grasp a bar on either side of the servant's head.

"I'll hold her hands together," offered Mayu, striding forward and clamping her fists around the girl's wrists and securing them together into a tight knot behind the girl's back.

Just then the girl's head snapped up, and she let out a blood-curdling yell. "LET GO OF ME!" she screamed, violently wriggling her body and kicking her feet into the air, but Uo and Mayu had a fast hold on her. "LET GO OF ME! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"

"It's a good thing these bars are separating us from her," said Uo through clenched teeth, as the girl gave a particularly fierce kick that flung her head back into a loud collision with the bars. "Or she would've definitely broken my nose right off my face."

"Well, at least she's not scratching you like crazy!" yelled Mayu, wincing as the girl dug her nails into her wrists. "Goodness, she's pretty wild. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she was related to the Sohmas, with all their fighting reputations at school and what not…"

"SOMEONE HELP ME!"

"_Pleasant_ time to be discussing that, Miss Shiragi!" spat Uo sarcastically. "Speaking of which, you just knocked Kureno unconscious!"

"Oh, drop it already, Uotani! It was necessary! Do you think he'd really let us do this? _I don't think so_!"

"LET ME GO, LET ME GO!"

"Now _this_ is interesting…" said Hiro. His comment, however, was ignored, or not heard at all, more likely.

"You could've asked him first!" cried Uo, her cheek now pressed against a bar as the servant continued to thrash about. "If he said no, _then_ you could've knocked him unconscious!"

"LET… ME… GO!"

"You'd still be angry about it, wouldn't you? Aaaargh, stop scratching me!" Mayu irritably shook the girl's wrists. "I swear, if you don't, I _will_ bite you!"

"THEN BITE ME!" screamed the servant. "HEY, HELP ME!"

There were a number of shouts, and then the sound of running, padded footsteps; several people appeared before them with looks of both rage and fear on their faces. In haste two men tried to pry the servant free from Uo's hold.

"We're not letting her go until you get us out of here!" growled Uo, and with her head she motioned to Kureno's unconscious form behind her. "If you want her safe, and your precious Kureno, you'll do it!"

All of a sudden a woman at the rear of the group let out a loud gasp. "MASTER AKITO!" she screeched, pointing a trembling finger at something not even Uo could see. Several of the servants, including the woman, rushed into that direction, and most of the remaining appeared torn as to follow or not.

"Ah, just give us the damn key!" exclaimed Uo impatiently.

"Release her!" demanded one of the men before her, struggling to force Uo's fingers into loosening their grip on the bar.

The woman who had called out earlier ran up to them. "Masao, hurry! The master is dying!"

The man called Masao broke his attempt to loosen Uo's fingers with a loud grunt, and he turned to the woman with an apprehensive look on his tanned face. "Dying?" He craned his neck in an effort to see what was happening to Akito. "Who's choking him?" he demanded, waving a hand to emphasize his query.

"Master Shigure!" cried the woman hysterically, her eyes seemingly on the verge of tears. "Masao, what do we do? Do we just let Master Akito _die_?"

"Wow, I didn't think Shigure had it in him…" muttered Mayu, involuntarily glancing over her shoulder, and seeing Hiro raise his eyebrows in apparent agreement.

"HEY!" screamed the servant girl, kicking a foot high in the air, "HELP ME!"

"GIVE US THE DAMN KEY!" yelled Uo, pulling her arms closer together to put pressure on the girl's neck, a gesture that effectively silenced her screaming. "I'll let go her go, I _swear_ it, as long as we get out of here! Come on, I'm getting _real_ tired or repeating myself!"

"None of them have the key…" murmured Hana suddenly, and both Uo and Mayu shot her identical stares of exasperated dismay.

"Are you sure?" breathed Mayu tiredly. "You mean we're doing this all for nothing?"

Hana didn't answer; she was gazing blankly at Masao, whose eyes then seemed to glaze over, much like the servant girl's own only moments before. The man behind Masao –a burly man with graying hair– grabbed his shoulder anxiously; he shook his head, and the emptiness in his eyes was suddenly replaced by utmost fear.

"Get the key from Master A-Akito," he whimpered, taking several steps back and stumbling over his own feet. The gray-haired man stared at him disbelievingly. "Just do it!" squeaked Masao.

The man hastily disappeared from view, and Uo lessened her grip on the girl's neck. Slightly. Meanwhile, Masao backed himself against the opposite wall and lowered his eyes to the paneled floor, as if in a frantic attempt to avoid catching the gaze of Hana.

"Seriously, what is _wrong_ with you?" said Mayu, eyeing Hana incredulously, who simply shrugged, as was her usual response.

There came another series of chaotic shouts, this time from where the servants had gone to, where Akito was. And then a loud clang rang through the corridor, soon followed by odd _poof_ing noises and several female screams.

"What the hell is going on there?" asked Uo impatiently, but before she could say anything else she saw a very familiar duo sprint by, and then both she and Hana reacted at the same time.

"TOHRU!"

oOo

Alarmed that it might be a hallucination, Kyo called out to Hatori. "HATORI! I'm not transforming!"

Hatori, who had been trying to calmly persuade Shigure into releasing Akito but was now rolling up his sleeves as if in preparation to resort to drastic measures and strike Shigure, looked at Kyo irritably. "What did you say, Kyo?"

"_I'm not transforming_," Kyo repeated, overwhelmed by the mere sound of the words he spoke. He gazed down at Tohru, who met his eyes with silent jubilance. He could hardly believe it, but it was happening. He was embracing Tohru, genuinely. A feeling he had long since forgotten, the warmth and closeness of an embrace. All of a sudden, matter known as the world exploded into nonexistence in Kyo's mind, leaving only the entity that was Tohru. Slowly, with the fear of waking from what could be but a dream, he curled his arms around her tighter. The apple scent of her hair filled his nostrils intoxicatingly.

Hatori approached them, and kneeled on the floor to examine the situation. "How is this happening…" he murmured, and he gently placed a trembling hand on Tohru's shoulder, but retrieved it quickly. "No, it doesn't matter. We have to get you both out of here. Ayame!" he called out, and the silvery head of his cousin turned to look at him expectantly. "Where's Yuki?"

Ayame clapped his hands enthusiastically and cupped them around his mouth. "Oh, Yuki!" he trilled, bending himself to inspect the ground outside in the corridor. "Where art thou… oh, there you are! Hurry up, will you? You might transform back anytime now!"

His words confused Kyo, and he cleared his throat to capture Hatori's attention. "Hey, Hatori, I don't get it. How come Yuki transformed and I didn't?"

Hatori was silent for a while, staring at Akito's distorted face. Kyo followed his gaze, and he wondered just how many minutes, or seconds, remained until Akito finally fell into the eternal sleep that was death. The thought of it was oddly painless, now that Kyo finally held in his arms the one person that mattered to him. Hatori blinked and faced him.

"Well," he began slowly, his brow furrowing as if in deep contemplation, "I can only think of one reason. The curse is somehow linked to Akito, who is the head of the family. Yuki transformed when Shigure had just grabbed Akito. But now… he is on the brink of death. The curse must've broken because of the imbalance. So you didn't transform."

"Because Akito's… dying?" said Tohru softly. Hatori nodded gravely, and she clutched Kyo's shirt tightly, her fingers forming small fists.

Suddenly there were shouts, and Kyo saw several people appear and surround Akito. Panic streaked along his spine as the thought of once again losing the opportunity to hold Tohru crashed into his mind. The servants, however –if that was who the people were– merely stood staring at Akito, as though they were tempted to allow Shigure to slowly kill their Master. But one among them, a woman, seemed to be more frantic than the rest, for she kept grasping the shoulders of the men, as though to urge them into action.

"Why aren't they doing anything?" muttered Hatori suddenly, startling Kyo.

Shigure then let out a loud grunt, and at once Kyo's gaze snapped to him, his heart thundering in his chest. Had Akito finally died? Rather reluctantly, Kyo craned his neck to see Akito's face. Akito was still alive, it seemed, for his eyes were blinking rapidly, his mouth opening and closing. But Kyo knew it would only be seconds…

The woman finally abandoned the group, running into the corridor. Suddenly, Kyo saw something gray pelt across the floor towards Ayame.

"Here's the key!" yelled Yuki, and Ayame swept up the metal key from his brother's tiny paws. "Come on, unlock the door!"

"My, all this _drama_ is incredible!" sang Ayame, as he ran up to the metal door. "And to think I very nearly missed out on it! I had other plans, you know. Oh, I'm _so_ glad I decided to come here instead…"

Unsure whether Ayame was being sarcastic or not, Kyo turned to Hatori again, but to his surprise, the doctor spoke up first.

"Kyo, once that door is open, I want you and Tohru to run, understand? There are enough distractions as it is, so it won't be much of a problem if you escape."

"Uh…" was all Kyo could muster; Hatori's words had caught him off guard, and the idea was now sending waves of fresh panic along his spine. And then, he glanced at Akito's struggling figure.

"Hatori… why did you stop trying to stop Shigure?"

Hatori's eyebrows pulled together into a deep frown. Exhaling a small sigh, he replied: "I suppose I have enough anger to let him murder Akito."

"What d'you mean?"

"I–"

Both of them let out a gasp as one of the other women outside suddenly thrust her arms between the bars and wrap them around Shigure's waist. And then a cloud of colored smoke suddenly obscured Kyo's vision of the scene entirely. There were several screams, and a thud –Kyo could just make out Akito's limp body on the ground.

There was a familiar clanging noise, and then all of a sudden, Kyo felt himself being pulled roughly.

"Get Tohru out of here!" Hatori's voice ordered into his ear. Slightly dazed, Kyo nodded, and he tightened his hold on Tohru. Amidst the smoke and chaos, he led her towards the now open doorway; pushing past numerous bodies, he made his way into the corridor.

oOo

Tohru let out yet another breath she had been holding; her heart, however, continued to thump wildly against her chest. Her mind was in turmoil, thoughts too many and scattered about to take in what was happening.

"Are you… okay?" panted Kyo, one hand still wrapped securely around her waist.

Tohru nodded and smiled weakly. It was only then she noticed the surrounding: they were standing in an unfamiliar alley of some sort, a cobble strip between a wooden wall and a stone one. "W-where are we?" she whispered.

"B-behind one of the houses in the compound," replied Kyo quietly, his voice raspy with exhaustion. "It's far from the main house, so I don't think anyone will find us here."

Tohru nodded again and exhaled a shaky breath. She felt Kyo's other hand curl around her stomach, and she shivered involuntarily, feeling something was wrong about the gesture. Then it dawned upon her. "K-Kyo?" she stammered, and he gazed down at her with soft yet piercing burgundy eyes. She swallowed hesitantly, before continuing: "Um… aren't you supposed to be a cat? I'm sorry, that was rude of me… uh, I mean…"

To her surprise, Kyo let out a chuckle. "Yeah, I know, it's weird, right? But I'm not transforming!"

"How come?" Tohru stared at his smiling face quizzically. Had something happened to break the curse? Her mind was still a muddle for her to recall anything that had occurred recently. There were brief flashes, but that was all.

"You don't remember?"

"No… I can't seem to remember _anything. _Oh, the last thing I remember is seeing Akito… and, and someone calling out my name…"

"Yeah, I heard that, too. But you know… I'm actually not sure why I'm not transforming. Hatori thinks it's because Akito was on the brink of death or something like that. I guess we have to ask him to explain his whole theory later. Yuki _and_ Shigure both transformed…"

Just then Tohru let out a gasp, as the events of the entire day finally came crashing into her head. "I remember now!" she exclaimed. "OH! Akito was being strangled! A-and Shigure, and everyone –!"

"Shh…" murmured Kyo hastily, placing a finger lightly upon Tohru's lips, and her body automatically froze. "Someone might hear you," he whispered. "I'm sure everyone's okay, Tohru. Even… Akito, I bet." He said the name with an obvious edge of disgust to his voice, but Tohru was calmed, nonetheless.

"Really?"

Kyo smiled at her reassuringly. Tohru grinned back, and then she pressed her cheek against his chest. His heart was beating fast and rhythmically, the sound comforting to her ears. Just then she felt a slight pressure on the top of her head and a rush of heat through her hair: Kyo had rested his own head upon hers.

The closeness between them was almost terrifying. Tohru had never known such intensity in a single embrace. And yet, the feeling was intoxicatingly sweet. The world seemed to melt away with Kyo's touch. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.

Tohru felt one of Kyo's hands slide up along her spine, and unconsciously she let out a small sound of ecstasy. And then she felt her chin being lifted: her eyes met Kyo's for a breathtakingly long moment, and soon, their lips met.

It was incredible, the fact that she could finally embrace the love of her life, feel his skin against hers, the warmth of his breath. Tears brimmed over her eyes in happiness, and she deepened the kiss, letting it envelope her mind completely.


	16. The Way Home

**A/N**: Woohoo, 16 chapters already! The story's almost done; I think there's one or two more chapters left… awww… you know, this is actually the only story I've ever continued writing until its potential finish… heheh… I have sooo many incomplete stories, you have no idea. Anyhoo, a big, BIG hug to all those who reviewed and read and favorite-d this story! I shower thee with roses and candy!! Happy reading!!

The Sixteenth Continuing Chapter- The Way Home

Tohru shivered as the night air brushed a particularly cool breeze against her skin. In an instant, Kyo pulled her closer to him, and soon she felt warm by the heat radiating from his body.

"You're nice and warm," she sighed contentedly. Kyo's chest trembled pleasantly against her cheek as he chuckled.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said amusedly, "a weird one, but thanks anyway."

Tohru giggled, and then sighed. She lifted her head and her eyes found the mossy stone wall that separated them from the outside. It seemed at a height taller than her, but then again she was in a sitting position.

"How long have we been here?" she asked softly.

Kyo shrugged. "I don't know, an hour, I guess."

"Are we waiting for something, or someone?"

"No."

There was an edge of nonchalance to his voice that struck Tohru odd, and she glanced up at his face. His features were hard, his jaw clenched. On meeting her gaze, however, his face broke into a reassuring smile.

"Sorry. I just don't want to go home yet. For sure everyone's gonna ask questions, no one's gonna give us any privacy… ugh… I just can't take any more of the damn _attention_."

Tohru was silent for a while, at a loss for words; Kyo's words had made her realize that she felt the same way to an extent. She had never cared to admit it –or to _believe_ it, for that matter– but she had grown weary of hearing a seemingly endless number of questions about their relationship and its future.

Just then, an idea occurred to her. "I know, what if we sneak inside?" she said brightly. "That way no one will notice us, and we can have privacy!"

Kyo pursed his lips thoughtfully. It was in this moment that another realization dawned upon Tohru. She was being impractical. The only reason she had developed a disliking for attention was because she had known that she herself had no plausible and concrete answer to any question. But that had been before today, before the curse had been broken. Now that it no longer existed, their lives were literally _normal_ now. The future was clear, exempt of the worries and fears that always accompanied the curse.

"Kyo, wait," she said hastily. His eyebrows lifted curiously. "I'm sorry, that was rude. I just… well, I just realized that we don't have to sneak in, after all. The curse is broken, so… shouldn't it be only a relief that we can finally answer the questions people ask, without any doubts?"

"What d'you mean?"

Tohru cleared her throat, feeling a blush warm her cheeks. "You know, questions like 'what do you plan to do after high school', or 'will you get married and have children some day'… before we couldn't answer those kind of questions because we knew that the curse was there, right?"

"Right…" said Kyo slowly.

"Now that the curse is gone, we can finally think about the future properly! We can answer anyone's questions now –oh, we don't have to tell that you _had_ been cursed, of course! But we can say that–"

"Yes, we plan to get married and have children," finished Kyo smilingly. Tohru's blush deepened, and she was silently thankful that the late hour provided little light for Kyo to see it.

"So…" she squeaked, "d-do you still want to sneak in?"

Kyo exhaled a short sigh. "Well… we can't hide from them forever. So I guess we just _walk_ in."

Tohru nodded once and wrung her fingers together. "Okay! Now, all we have to do is ask someone to let us out of the main gate. Do you think they'll let us leave, Kyo?"

"Idiot…" whispered Kyo tenderly, lightly smacking the palm of his hand on her forehead. "We'll go over the wall. No way are they letting us go without telling Akito, and we don't want _that_ to happen."

"We don't?" echoed Tohru, as Kyo gently pulled away from their embrace and stood up.

"Nope." He took her hand and smoothly pulled her to her feet. "Come on, I'll heave you up, it's not that high."

"H-heave me up?" Tohru felt her heart constrict with fear as Kyo brought her closer to the looming stone wall, whose height seemed to make no difference even now that she was upright.

"Tohru," murmured Kyo, clasping either side of her face, "I _promise_ I won't let anything happen to you. You're going to be fine. Just trust me on this."

At once, as Tohru gazed into Kyo's intense burgundy eyes, a surge of calm rushed through her. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "O-okay…"

Kyo flashed a crooked grin at her and then knelt down on one knee, holding out his hands and clamping them on top of each other. "Okay, step on my hands, carefully, and I'll push you up. When you're at the top, stay there, I'll follow. Got it?"

"Got it," affirmed Tohru. Cautiously, she clutched Kyo's shoulder and stepped onto his open palm, casting a sideways glance at his face. "Am I too heavy? Tell me if I'm hurting you, Kyo–!"

"Tohru, you're lighter than a _feather_, for crying out loud," remarked Kyo amusedly.

"I am? If you say so…" With another deep breath, Tohru hoisted herself up, using her other hand to grasp a jutting stone in the wall. Then, very much like an elevator, Kyo slowly lifted her until her fingers clutched the ledge.

"You can do it, Tohru," assured Kyo, as, with much difficulty, she pulled her body up and swung one leg over the wall. Her breathing rapid again, she settled herself until her bottom sat squarely in the middle of the ledge and her legs securely hugged the stone between them. She grinned triumphantly at Kyo below.

"I did it!" she exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together.

"Told you so. Wait there, I'll be up in a second."

Inhaling the bittersweet scent of the cold, moist air, Tohru scanned the view then; to one side of her, the pale silhouettes of the cherry-blossom trees and the numerous houses that scattered across the compound stood out against the ultramarine sky. Beyond them, she could just make out the main gate, behind which stood the silhouettes of neighboring houses and more trees. A gentle draft blew against Tohru's cheek, and she turned her head in the other direction to find a street dimly lit by wooden lamp posts. Just then, she heard a thump and a grunt, and Kyo's form appeared before her for a while, before it slipped down the wall and onto the street below.

"Jump," whispered Kyo loudly, holding up outstretched hands to her. It only occurred to her then just how high she was, and she shook her head nervously. "Come on, Tohru. I promised I wouldn't let anything to happen to you, remember? Just close your eyes… and jump."

Gulping down a lump that had formed in her throat, she slowly drew her other leg over the ledge. Squeezing her eyes shut and taking yet another deep breath, she leaned forward and jumped.

She barely felt herself land in Kyo's arms. Prying one eye open, she saw the smirk on his face. "Gotcha," he said smugly.

Giggling, she smacked her lips against his. "You can let me down now."

To her surprise, he shook his head. "Forget it. I'm carrying you the whole way. I don't know how long this curse-free thing is gonna last, so I'm gonna spend as much time as possible holding you."

Before Tohru could reply, however, a large yawn took control of her mouth. Kyo let out a brief laugh.

"See, you're sleepy, too," he pointed out amusedly. "I'm carrying you."

"B-but…" began Tohru, as Kyo lowered her to the ground and turned away from her.

"Get on," he ordered, bending over.

"But you've done so much for me already, Kyo! I- I couldn't…"

"Dammit, Tohru, just get on," sighed Kyo. "And just so you know, I'll _always_ want to do stuff for you, no use trying to make me change my mind. Now get on."

"Okay," mumbled Tohru, feeling overwhelming happiness grip her heart as she clambered onto Kyo's back.

oOo

It was a long walk back to Shigure's house, but in all honesty, Kyo couldn't possibly care any less. The night air was satiated with the feel of approaching winter, the curse was no longer an important issue in his life, and he was actually carrying Tohru Honda, the only person he loved more and more with every second, on his back on their way back home, to safety, to an ordinary life. Everything was simply… _perfect_, for lack of a better word. _The only thing missing_, he thought amusedly, _is romantic piano music playing in the background. _

"Kyo?" called out Tohru's soft, tired voice. Her breath tickled his ear pleasantly. "What do you suppose happened to Uo, Hana, Miss Shiragi, Hiro and Kisa? They didn't come for the party…" Then she uttered a tiny gasp. "What if something bad happened to them?"

"I'm sure they're fine, Tohru," said Kyo, not wishing to upset her. "Maybe they had other stuff to do. You know how much homework we were given."

"You're probably right…" she murmured. "Homework… It's hard to believe that now all we have to worry about is _school_. It's funny, in a way."

"Yeah," agreed Kyo, smiling. "To think we started out the weekend worrying about Akito…"

Tohru was silent then, so Kyo said no more, thinking that she was drifting into slumber. He walked on, examining the shadowed houses that lined the street, wondering what the time was for not a single soul to be stirring. He supposed their entire episode at the Sohma main house had taken about three to four hours since midnight. In any case, the sky's deep blue color indicated that dawn would break soon enough.

"Kyo, I'm sorry," whispered Tohru suddenly, startling him.

"I thought you fell asleep. Sorry for what?"

"For… k-kissing Yuki."

A slight pang of sadness struck Kyo, but he dismissed it quickly. "Forget about it. I'm sure it wasn't your fault, anyway."

"But it is," she insisted. "I… _let_ him kiss me. A-and, and… I kissed him back at the start."

Kyo halted, and at once he felt Tohru stiffen.

"Kyo, I'm sorry!" she repeated. "I-I… I know that anything I say won't change what I did, but I _am_ truly sorry! I don't love Yuki, I promise! N-no, I _do_ love him, but not the way I love _you_! I love him like a friend! Oh, Kyo, I'm so, so sorry…"

Kyo bit his lip. The image of Tohru kissing his childhood rival was agonizing to picture. But she _was_ sorry it had happened, and Tohru never lies when she apologizes, Kyo knew that. And he loved her too much to be angry with her. He could _never_ be angry with her.

But Yuki was a different matter.

"It's okay, Tohru. It's that damn rat's fault. He just couldn't accept the fact that I finally won one over him. He's liked you as long as I have, you know. I bet he just kissed you to confuse you and break you down."

"Well, he did…" she murmured, her voice shaky. Suddenly, Kyo felt wetness on his neck: Tohru was crying, he realized.

"Do you really love me?" he asked quietly.

"Yes!" she declared, sniffing. "I-I love you very much, Kyo! I don't know what I'll do without you!"

Kyo resumed the walk. "Well, if you love me, then there's nothing to be confused about, is there?"

After a silent moment, Tohru's arms tightened around his neck. "No…" she mumbled. "B-but I-I…"

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Tohru," said Kyo firmly. "I love you, and that's it." As he expected, a fresh shower of tears met his skin, and he shook his head. "You're hopeless…"

Tohru giggled, the sound garbled through her sobs. "T-thank you, Kyo…"

"Anytime."

"Oh… I'm sorry! Your clothes are wet because of me…!"

Kyo exhaled an exasperated sigh. "It's fine, Tohru. Let's talk about something else. So, what are you doing tomorrow? I mean, later?"

"Let's see… well, after I do my daily chores of cleaning and cooking, I'll start on my homework. Oh, I can't wait to go to school now! Everything's back to normal and you don't have to worry about girls accidentally hugging you!"

"I'll worry if it's anyone but you," remarked Kyo. "Wow, normal, yeah… I never knew normal, actually." He twisted his head to wink at Tohru. "I know it now, and I like it."

"Good. Normal's fun! Oh, and Kyo… um, about what you said earlier…"

"'Bout what?"

"A-about… uh… getting m-married and having children…"

Kyo broke into a wide grin. He could just imagine Tohru's face at that moment, red with embarrassment. "Yeah?"

"Well," she squeaked, "w-where do you want to get married?"

The question took Kyo by pleasant surprise. "Hmm, never really thought about it. I mean, I used to think that we couldn't get married because of the curse, but now… I don't know, what do you think, where _should_ we get married?"

"How about a beach wedding?" suggested Tohru brightly. "Ooh, we could go the Sohma summer house and have it by the lake! It's perfect!"

Kyo laughed. "Sure, that's a great idea. Then the reception could be like an over-night thing."

"That would be fun! Then what about the honeymoon? I heard Mount Fuji is beautiful!"

"When did you get so adventurous? Mount Fuji, _seriously_? Nah, how 'bout Paris? Everyone goes there for their honeymoon."

"But I can't speak French!" exclaimed Tohru.

"Okay, fine, fine. The idea to go there is beyond cliché, anyway. Well… wherever you want, then. Mount Fuji it is."

"I've always wanted to try rock climbing!" declared Tohru excitedly. "It looks like fun on TV! Okay, so after we get married, we have children, right? How many do you want?"

"Depends on you, really." Kyo chuckled, and then fell into an awkward silence. The idea of having children was overwhelming him. No, the idea of _making_ children, actually. Now that he could physically hold Tohru, he could imagine them stepping up to levels beyond mere kissing…

He shook his head. No, he would take things slowly, let their relationship develop gradually. He could wait, and he _would_ wait, if she wanted him to.

"Well, I've always wanted a big family," said Tohru thoughtfully. "Like you and the Sohmas! It's such a wonderful feeling to have so many people around you who you love and who love you…"

"Don't worry, with the number of cousins I have, you're sure to have a LOT of nieces and nephews."

"Really? I'm so happy!" Tohru let out a peal of cheerful laughter. Kyo grinned to himself at the sound of it.

They walked on in silence then, but not an uncomfortable one. Kyo took this opportunity to examine their surrounding. The sky was pale now, a blue canvas splashed with a deep purple. The houses, however, remained quiet, asleep. The air was still, too; the wind had deadened and settled heavily to form a thin mist.

Kyo felt Tohru shiver, and he clutched her legs tighter around his waist. Just then, he heard a faint, roaring sound from behind them. He stopped in his tracks, and turned to see two pairs of headlights approaching them from the darkness.

"That's Hatori!" exclaimed Tohru suddenly, as the first pair of headlights slowed.

Kyo let out an involuntary groan. The car stopped at their side with a soft screech, and one door opened, revealing a mass of bodies inside.

"Care to join us?" asked Shigure lightly, who sat in the front seat.

"I thought you guys were at home already," said Kyo sourly.

"On the contrary, we stayed behind to have a little chat with Akito. He had some… interesting things to say. He wasn't too happy."

"No duh, you nearly killed him," pointed out Hatsuharu behind him.

"True as that may be, all is well now! Come in out of the cold and we'll tell you all about it."

Kyo heaved a sigh, and glanced at the second car. "Who's in there?"

"That's Kureno!" cried Momiji happily, who was wedged between Hatsuharu and Kagura. "With Kisa, Hiro, Ayame, and Tohru's two friends and teacher!"

"OH! How did…? Are they alright?" asked Tohru anxiously.

"They're just peachy," said Shigure with a wide grin. "Now, are you coming or not? You can't walk all the way back, you'll both get sick!"

"Shigure, how are we going to fit?" demanded Yuki softly, who sat at the far side of Kyo.

"Hmm, that _is_ a toughie…"

"We'll walk, thanks," said Kyo dryly, taking a few steps forward.

"Tohru might get sick, Kyo!" said Momiji. "She doesn't look too well…"

"Oh, I'm fine, really!" Kyo felt Tohru shake her head vigorously. "Please don't worry about me!"

"Kyo," called out Hatori suddenly, "be reasonable, you can't walk all the way back. It's too far. Why don't you two sit on the trunk? I'll drive slowly so you don't fall off."

"What? I…" Kyo paused; strange as it sounded, he actually found the idea appealing. Tohru _did_ need her sleep after all, and he could warm her better if they were seated side by side. He twisted his head to look at Tohru. "What do you think, Tohru?"

"Anything is okay!" She grinned at him, and he nodded.

"Okay then," he said, walking up to the trunk of the car and carefully lowering her onto it. When he was certain that she sat comfortably and as far away from the edge as possible, he heaved himself onto the trunk to her side. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he knocked on the cool metal of the car. "Ready to go," he said loudly.

The door slammed close, but before the car could move, the second car drove around it to take the lead, most likely to provide more privacy for the couple.

"I've never done this before," confessed Tohru, leaning her head against Kyo's chest.

"Same here." Kyo gave her a small squeeze and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you… Kyo…" she murmured. Kyo leaned his head forward and saw that her eyes had drifted closed. A stray lock of her silky hair hung in front of her face, and he tucked it behind her ear.

"I love you, too," he whispered, smiling. "And I always will."


	17. Reasons to Believe

**A/N: **I'M SO SORRY! I'm so, so, so sorry that this came out late, and my excuse is that we just moved to a new house that had no internet _whatsoever_… sigh, it's not really _my _fault, so let me rephrase: I apologize on behalf of the landlord… heehee! So this is it, the chapter before the last! Only one more to go! Little warning, this chapter explains EVERYTHING, so please bear with its excessive length! It's like four to five pages more than usual… and if I miss out anything, in terms of answering head-scratching questions I mean, please feel free to PM me! Wow, goodness, only one more to go… I've come quite a long way! Allow me to applaud myself for one moment…

Again, THANK YOU ALL SO, _SO_ much for reading this story, reviewing it, et cetera and more et cetera! You all make me so incredibly, bouncingly, perfectly happy! So, without further ado:

The Seventeenth Continuing Chapter- Reasons to Believe

Kyo was rudely awakened from his seemingly too-short sleep: someone had inconsiderately left the window curtains slung to the side, thus allowing the radiant rays of the morning sun to burst into his room, onto his bed, and right into his now hurting eyes.

"Ah, dammit!" he swore under his breath, slamming both fists into his eyes and rubbing vigorously. He sat up and turned his head away from the bright light, blinking painfully. It was then he was met with yet another surprise, but a pleasant one: there, right by his side, lying peacefully asleep with her legs tucked under her arms, was Tohru.

At once, Kyo felt his heart beat thump against his chest, coinciding with a bristling flutter in his stomach. Impulsively, he reached out a hand and gingerly stroked her cheek; her skin was warm under the beam of the sun, whose light also illuminated her face into that of an angel. The gesture seemed to stir her.

"Kyo…?" she mumbled, opening an eye and then immediately closing it again as it met the morning. Kyo leapt up from and bed and hastily threw the curtains closed, casting the room into a gentle darkness.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," said Kyo cheerfully, and then a sudden yawn overcame him. Shaking his head, he slumped back onto the bed. "Man, you know what, _I'm_ bushed…"

Both of Tohru's eyes flew open, and a soft giggled escaped her mouth. Then she gasped. "I'm so sorry, Kyo!" she whispered loudly, propping herself up on one elbow. "I took all of your sleeping space… I-I… it's your bed–!"

Kyo shook his head again. "Nah, forget it. I'm the one who put you there. My room was the nearest…"

As she cocked her head to one side in confusion, the events of the previous night, or rather, the recent hours, came crawling into Kyo's head. They had arrived at the house almost five-thirty in the morning, with Tohru sound asleep in his arms. He had –with much unwanted excitement from Shigure and Ayame– carried her to his room and then watched her for a while, before falling into slumber himself.

"You fell asleep sitting on the trunk of Hatori's car, remember?" he reminded Tohru.

Her eyes widened. "OH!" she gasped, one hand flying to cover her mouth. "Oh, yes, I did! Oh, Kyo, I'm so sorry I had to trouble you like that!"

"Like what?"

"You didn't have to carry me! You could've woken me up–!"

"Tohru, it's _okay_," he said firmly. "I did it; it's over and done with. Now, get back to sleep. You're still tired, and I want you to get as much rest as possible. I think I'll go back to sleep, too…" He glanced at the clock that hung above the door, and groaned. "It's past twelve? Sure felt like I've been sleeping for an _hour_ at most…"

"Past twelve?" repeated Tohru incredulously, bolting upright. "OH NO! I'm _so_ sorry! I-it's so late, and it's time for lunch, but I haven't prepared–!"

"Not to worry, not to worry!" sang Shigure, barging into the room and startling Kyo with his sudden presence.

"Don't you ever _knock_?" yelled Kyo angrily. "What if I was _naked_?"

"To answer question one, I can't be bothered with such time-consuming activities," said Shigure, waving a hand in a blasé manner. "And to question two, _dear_ me, Kyo, how can you suggest such a thing? Why, _were_ you naked? OH MY! YOU WERE–!"

"I WAS NOT NAKED!" screamed Kyo, blushing furiously and checking himself at the same time. Fortunately, he was still dressed in the formal clothing he had worn to Akito's house, which had then been smooth and crease-free.

Shigure grinned wickedly as he glanced in Tohru's direction, whose cheeks were flushed as well. "So how was he?" he asked brightly. "I mean, all I heard was silence throughout the night, so I take it he wasn't too good…?"

"You're sick, Shigure," said Hatori, appearing behind his cousin wearing a look of utter disgust on his face. He fixed his gaze on Kyo. "I apologize for the rude awakening."

"You mean _you're_ the one who opened the curtains?" demanded Kyo.

Hatori frowned and glanced at the faded, plaid curtains. "I was referring to Shigure's abrupt entrance. But since you're up, you might as well join us downstairs. We have certain issues to discuss. And Tohru…" He turned to her and smiled slightly. "Our meal is taken care of; Mayu has been more than gracious in preparing it herself. Did you sleep well?"

Tohru blinked. "Yes, thank you," she said brightly. "And oh, Miss Shiragi is here? Is she alright? What about Uo and Hana?"

"Everyone is just fine," assured Hatori.

"Now that the villain has been disposed of!" said Shigure, straightening himself into a triumphant stance. "Akito will no longer bother us! And thus, we shall live happily ever after–!"

"Come on, Shigure," interrupted Hatori impatiently, taking a hold of his cousins shoulder and dragging him towards the door. "Let us leave them to freshen up."

"_Freshen up_, indeed," said Shigure, winking mischievously at Kyo, who threw him a murderous glare.

The door slammed close, and Kyo caught Tohru's eye. Both fell into an uncomfortable silence.

After a few seconds, Kyo cleared his throat loudly. "Um, well," he began, fighting to control a blush, "yeah, you should go, uh, get dressed. I'll… uh, meet you downstairs…"

Feeling the familiar heat rise to his cheeks, he strode towards the door and tugged it open. He didn't leave the room, however. "Hey," he said softly, twisting his head and gazing over his shoulder at Tohru. "I'm glad it's all over."

Tohru beamed at him. "So am I."

Kyo returned the grin and with that, stepped out into the corridor.

oOo

When Tohru entered the living room, she was shoved out again as something rock-hard and hairy slammed into her, and she shrieked in fear.

"TOHRU!" screamed a familiar voice in her ear: Uo, whose rough embrace Tohru had mistaken for a collision with a wall.

"We're so glad you're alright," said Hana, as she breathed a sigh of relief into the crook of Tohru's neck.

Tohru, feeling her eyes brim over with tears of happiness, hugged her friends back. Amidst the black, rose-scented bush that was Hana's hair, she cried, "Oh, I missed you two so very much!"

"It seems like it's been _forever_," agreed Uo laughingly.

"Didn't you three see each other like what, a few days ago?" asked Kyo incredulously, walking around Tohru.

Tohru pulled away from the embrace to look at him. "I'm sorry Kyo, but even then, I _have_ missed them! When we were in Akito's house, I kept wondering how I could live without them!"

"Looks like you'll be an easy replacement, Kyo," remarked Hatsuharu nonchalantly, who stood but a few feet away from them. Kyo threw him a steely glare.

It was then Tohru noticed that the room was literally crowded with people: all of the Zodiac members –including Rin and Ritsu, to Tohru's great surprise and delight; and, other than herself and Uo and Hana, Miss Mayuko Shiragi. The mere sight of so many faces was enough to overwhelm Tohru.

"I believe we should hold another celebration!" declared Ayame excitedly, swooping into the centre of the crowd with a dramatic flourish.

"We should," agreed Kagura brightly, "I mean, we really couldn't enjoy ourselves during Shigure's party knowing that we would see Akito. But now that's over, we really _should_ have a party!"

"I WANNA PLAY GAMES!" yelled Momiji, jerking a hand up into the air.

"Would it be safe to play?" asked Ritsu timidly, fiddling with the sash of his kimono.

"Not for you," said Hiro with a smirk, "if we were to play 'Monkey, Monkey', that is. I don't think you'd enjoy that very–"

"Isn't it called 'Donkey, Donkey'?" interrupted Momiji curiously. "You're talking about the game with throwing a ball, right?"

Hiro was about to reply with an apparent snappy remark when Hatori held up a commanding hand and silenced him.

"No one is playing any games. Not until you hear what I have to say," said Hatori firmly. "Now would you please be seated, all of you."

As those who were standing motioned to sit down wherever possible, Uo and Hana tugged Tohru towards the little wooden table that stood against one wall of the room, which they claimed as their seat. Tohru was reluctant to sit down on it at first –it was a piece of Shigure's furniture after all, but she was forced to comply in the end when, on seeking Shigure's permission, he gave her a reassuring wink.

Hatori cleared his throat once everyone had settled down; few remained standing, like Kyo, Hatsuharu, Yuki and Kureno. "Alright," began Hatori, "for the sake of those who were absent from the incident at the main house, I shall relate everything from beginning to end, starting with the curse."

"What curse?" asked Mayu sharply.

"Is it safe to tell them?" Yuki raised an eyebrow at Hatori, who merely shook his head.

"They have every right to know. Besides, there's nothing to worry about anymore. So, Mayu, Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima…"

All eyes snapped to the three women, whose faces wore identical curious expressions, even Hanajima's.

"… We, the Sohma family, are possessed by the spirits of the Zodiac. Every time we come in close contact with a member of the opposite sex, we turn into our respective animals. For instance, should one of you hug me, I will turn into a dragon."

"Correction: the _bastard son_ of a dragon," piped up Shigure, earning a dark look from his cousin.

"OH!" exclaimed Mayu suddenly, rising to her feet from her place on the floor. "Kana said something about that when you two were going out. She said it was a secret, but she did tell me that something weird happened to you that prevented you from hugging her or anything."

"Oh, so she _did_ mention it…" murmured Hatori thoughtfully. "Anyway, yes. I shall omit the details of the animals the others turn into for now."

"Can we see it?" asked Uo, her question taking Hatori by surprise.

"Feel free to embrace my being!" sang Ayame, standing up and striding towards Uo, who shrank back with a disgusted grimace.

"Uh, _no_, I don't think so–!"

"Not now," said Hatori loudly, clasping a hand over Ayame's shoulder. "Wait until I say so. They have to understand something first."

Ayame pouted, but retreated back to his seat.

"I thought the curse was broken," spoke up Kyo, glancing at Tohru, who smiled back at him.

"When'd the curse get broken?" demanded Uo.

Hatori inhaled a deep breath and rubbed his temple. "_Please_ let me finish. Mayu, Miss Uotani and Miss Hanajima…" Silence greeted him, and he nodded in approval. "Alright, so you know about the curse. Now, about the head of the family, his name is Akito, but, unlike us, he is free of the curse. However, he has a congenital weakness that constantly serves as a reminder that he will die young. As a result, he makes it his duty to–"

"Make our lives a living hell," finished Hatsuharu casually. Tohru saw him throw a mirthless wink at Rin, who merely frowned in return.

"–live up to his full potential as the leader of the family," continued Hatori, choosing to ignore Hatsuharu's comment. "As you have seen, he is rather… stern about his beliefs, stubborn and violent." At this he turned to Rin and Ritsu. "We were called to the main house yesterday, where we were locked in for quite some time, including Tohru's friends and teacher."

"Why were you called?" asked Rin softly, folding her thin, alabaster arms. Her blank eyes fell on Tohru, who cringed. "Is it because _she_ developed a romantic relationship with Kyo?"

"Don't talk like she doesn't belong," snapped Kyo.

"Yeah, say anything bad about our Tohru, I'll kick your ass, you gothic… chick!" barked Uo. Rin's eyes traveled slowly to her, and narrowed challengingly.

"Yes, Rin," said Hatori, raising a hand to calm the rising tension in the room. "Certainly that was the main reason we were called. _However_, that was not entirely what we spoke of in our actual meeting with Akito."

"What?" said Kyo distractedly. "So what _did_ you talk about?"

"Ah, that was _after_ you and Tohru scurried off into hiding, no?" spoke up Shigure. "Might I be the one to tell them, Hari?" He batted his eyelashes at his cousin in mock innocence.

"Go ahead," sighed Hatori.

"Yes! Alright, so here's the story. After the flower and her prince left, the four of us, Hari, Aya, Kureno and I, decided to confront Akito. And would you _believe_ that he was still angry that I tried to kill him?"

"WHAAAAT?" screamed Ritsu in a deafeningly high pitch. At once he was pinned down by Kyo and Hatsuharu in an attempt to abate his hysteria, but his hands continued to flail about violently. "HOW COULD YOU KILL AKITO? THIS IS TERRRRRIBLE! WE WILL BE PUNISHED! OHHHH, WHAT WILL PEOPLE THIIIIINK? OHHH–!"

There was a dull thud as Hatsuharu knocked a fist into the back of Ritsu's head. To Tohru's horror, his body went limp, with his mouth open slightly.

"That wasn't really necessary, Haru," said Hatori reproachfully. "I have his medicine right here."

"Or I could've used my poke-on-the-neck-and-make-him-faint bit!" sighed Shigure sadly.

Hatsuharu shrugged and rose to his feet. "I was nearer," he said nonchalantly.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" whispered Uo in Tohru's ear, pointing at Ritsu.

"Oh, he's just, uh, sensitive," replied Tohru with a nervous laugh. "He gets panic attacks easily."

"The poor thing," murmured Hana.

"The poor _family_, you mean," said Uo amusedly, "man, they're so screwed up! Cursed _and_ ruled by a spawn of Satan? And I thought my family was bad."

"Ehm, can we just leave him here?" asked Kyo uncertainly, motioning to Ritsu, who was now emitting a low noise that sounded oddly like a snore.

Shigure sighed. "If you must, for then how can you hear my tale?"

"Of steadfast valor against rivals!" cried Ayame, bounding to his cousin's side and tossing his head back, so that his silvery mane rippled behind him like a cape. Tohru watched him in awed fascination. "And unwavering yet forbidden romance between men!"

"I think I just vomited in my mouth," remarked Yuki disgustedly.

"Just continue, Shigure," said Hatori, waving a hand dismissively.

"Fine, fine. Where was I? _Ah_… oh, I'll just start from the beginning. Now, how what happened again…? Oh, right. Ahem…"

"Get on with it, Shigure."

"I am, _I am_…"

oOo

_Recollection_

"I wonder where Kyo and Tohru scuttled off to…" murmured Shigure thoughtfully.

"Oh, I'm sure they're enjoying themselves wherever they are," said Ayame brightly. "I mean, any place is better than _this_ place, am I correct?" He released a deep, resounding laugh.

Hatori glanced at his white-haired cousin, and pursed his lips together tightly. He did not care to admit it, but he agreed with Ayame's words. He had paid homage to Akito for as long as he could remember, had been on his constant beck and call, like an obedient servant boy. He had seen for himself Akito's merciless capabilities. He had experienced them firsthand, and had let them slide. And then he had seen them exercised on others, like sweet Tohru Honda… that infliction upon her face months ago had been the last straw. And everything that had happened since then up until now had changed his perspective completely. Now he loathed Akito with every fiber of his being. A considerable part of him had wanted Shigure to complete the task of disposing of him, of that he was certain. And he would never regret it. Just like he would never regret expressing his opinions right to Akito's face, which was to be in a matter of minutes.

"So, I am to be the first to speak, I presume?" said Kureno softly.

Hatori started; he had forgotten about Kureno's presence. It was strange: other than himself, Kureno had been another loyal subject of Akito. And here the two of them were, standing side by side, about to face their master with an identical goal of renouncing themselves out of servant hood, permanently. Curious, Hatori turned to face Kureno directly.

"Why the change of heart?" he asked.

Kureno's eyebrows pulled together into a frown. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you stop listening to Akito? When did you start paying attention to the needs of others?"

Kureno gave a small shrug. "When I fell in love," he replied simply.

"_You_ fell in love?" said Shigure incredulously. Hatori shot him a disapproving look, but he pointedly ignored it.

"Judging from your expression, I can only assume you have never _been_ in love," said Kureno coolly. "Otherwise, you would understand, as I know Hatori does." He shifted his gaze to Hatori, who answered with a single, curt nod.

"I _am_ in love, for your information," retorted Shigure.

"I don't think writing erotica counts as an object of love," said Hatori in mild amusement. Yes, he did understand, all too well. Without thinking, he lifted a hand and touched his left eye, which did not register the movement. If Kureno was indeed in love, then a scar was something he was not willing to risk, on him, or on the woman he loved.

"But erotica _is_ love!" pointed out Ayame, clutching Shigure's hand. "It is the strongest form of love there is!"

"Only you would say that, Aya," said Shigure laughingly.

At this, Hatori smiled. Even Kureno broke out into a small grin. Such moments were precious, and how they yearned for more days of it. And if there were a time to work for it, it was now. Hatori noticed a shadow come into form on the vertical sheet of paper before him. And then the door slid open. The happy moment passed quickly.

"The Master will see you now," said an aged female servant.

Hatori inhaled a deep breath, and the other three followed suit, before stepping into the room.

It wasn't the look of utter anger mixed with agony on Akito's face that startled Hatori. It was the bruise on his neck. Blue, and shaped like claws, it made Akito look like an unsuccessfully decapitated corpse. Hatori found himself recoiling.

"What, don't you like my new look?" sneered Akito. His voice was thin and raspy, a broken whisper. He was sitting on the floor, leaning weakly against the wall on the far side of the room. The foursome approached him tentatively.

"I think it's quite becoming!" remarked Ayame boldly. "This makeover was long overdue, in my opinion."

"Quiet, Aya," hissed Hatori. "Let me and Kureno speak." He glanced at Kureno, who nodded and stepped forward.

"Akito, I have always been loyal to you," he said without emotion.

"How dare you come into my presence and say that," spat Akito hoarsely. "You call yourself loyal? By falling for that bleached _bitch_? You _disgust_ me, Kureno."

If Kureno was affected at all by Akito's insult, his face didn't show it. However, his next words did. "I'm afraid you've gotten it the other way around. _You_ disgust _me_, beyond anything else. Don't you know how pitiful you really are? You think that you rule over us all, you believe yourself to be a god. But you do not have any care, any feeling, any remorse. And because of that, no one _can_ love you. And yet _I_ did, _I_ loved you. _Hatori_ loved you. Look at Tohru Honda, even _she_ felt sympathy for you, she, an outsider!"

"Don't talk about _that_ ugly girl–"

"We all loved you," continued Kureno in a louder tone, "by paying constant respect to you and obeying your every command. And still a monster you were, refusing to even acknowledge the fact that we are _human beings_. You denied us our freedom to love others."

"Because you don't deserve it, you fool!" snapped Akito, and coughed, clasping his throat. He reached for a glass of water that stood near him and sipped from it with much difficulty. Finally, he continued: "I was born a _weakling_, unlike the rest of you. You don't know what it's like to live like this–!"

"That's right, we don't," interrupted Kureno brusquely, "but that doesn't give you any damn right to take it out on us, to make weaklings out of all of us. How does treating us like dirt justify your illness, by making you feel omnipotent? I really do pity you, Akito. You don't know how to make the best of your short life. Does it hurt that much to have a little emotion? I see it in you sometimes. I see it in you now. The fierce pain, the agony. Just so you know, it's a taste of what you make us go through every day."

"SHUT UP!" yelled Akito, and instantly he fell into a bout of violent coughs.

"That's enough Kureno," said Hatori, wincing at the pitiful, writhing figure before him.

"One more thing," said Kureno loudly, "I love Arisa Uotani with all my heart, and I _will_ marry her. And don't you dare insult her in front of me ever again, or I _will_ make that bruise permanent."

Akito continued to cough, and Hatori watched Kureno back away with a mixture of admiration and annoyance. Kureno had said too much, uncharacteristically too much, and yet he had said exactly what Hatori had wanted to say. That Akito was simply wasting his life away. However, he still had more to say.

"Akito," he began clearly, "perhaps this may come as an unpleasant shock to you, or may not, but the curse has been lifted. Believe me or not, it's your choice. But, if I remember correctly, you made us swear allegiance to you under the condition that we were held by the curse. Since that is no longer the case, it is only right for me to assume that you are no longer the one to make our decisions. Put simply and bluntly, we don't have to listen to you anymore."

"I didn't know about that swearing allegiance thing," spoke up Shigure with genuine disbelief.

Hatori raised a hand to silence him. "_However_, since you need my aid as a professional doctor, I will remain in your service, and only as such. The others are free to do as they want, _which_ means, they are free to _love_ whomever they want. But just so we're clear, you are still the head of the family. You are still in charge of family matters in general, but _not_ of the lives of the individual members. I think… that's all I have to say."

Hatori stepped back, satisfied. Akito, who had ceased coughing about the time Shigure had interrupted, stared at him with narrowed eyes. And then, slowly and unsteadily, he rose to his feet.

"Do you wish to hear what I _am_ feeling right now?" he said, his voice still croaky, but loud this time. "Fine, I _am_ in pain, let that fact please you for all I care. I am in _unbearable_ pain and _not_ for the first time in my life, whatever you may think. You think you have me all figured out, don't you? Well, you _don't_. I have been in pain ever since the day I was _born_. My mother hated me, because I was weak. My father ignored me. And they went and made me head of the family without even _asking_ me if I wanted to! I still don't know why they did it, but I accepted the title, just to please them. I was never truly happy with it, of course. I wanted to be free, like the rest of you. I thought that if I couldn't have my freedom, you shouldn't have yours either. I thought it would make me feel better, to make your lives as miserable as possible! And it worked! You cowered before me like I was your king! But you know what, it never occurred to me how much you hated me for it, until today." He massaged his throat, and, to Hatori's great surprise, blinked to release tears from his eyes. "I always knew I was going to die young. But this… was unexpected. Dying at the hands of my own kin. When I felt all the air drain from me, I knew how far I'd crossed the line. I actually _blinded_ you, Hatori! And you were my favorite! I love your seriousness, your ability to perceive other's emotions and thoughts. But I couldn't stand the thought of losing you to… to _that_ girl… Kana. And yet I knew deep down that she was perfect for you. But my selfishness and pride took control of me. I made you send her away entirely. I made you erase her memories! How selfish is _that_?"

"After I hurt you, I felt guilty, I _did_. But I didn't want to, because I didn't want my mother to see how weak I was, so I made sure that everyone else would receive similar treatment, all those who disobeyed me. I was _never_ supposed to be weak! That's what my mother always said to me! You see, that's why I locked Yuki away! That's why I insulted and laughed at Kyo! That's why I kicked and punched everyone else! BECAUSE I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE WEAK!"

Akito reached his pinnacle of despair: he fell to his knees and wept loudly, hoarsely. The very likeness of a sobbing toddler. Hatori had the sudden recollection of Kyo in a similar position, and a flood of sympathy rushed through him. But before he could say anything, he was startled by Shigure speaking first.

"Akito, there's nothing wrong with being weak," he said kindly. "_Everyone_ has a weakness. That's where the phrase 'nobody's perfect' comes from. Your weakness, apparently, is struggling _not_ to have a weakness. But you know, showing emotion doesn't mean that you're weak at heart. On the contrary, it shows that you're actually capable of expanding your heart and reaching out to others. Now how could any mother be ashamed of that, really?"

"And if you think about it," spoke up Ayame, "by being afraid to feel emotions, you _were_ feeling an emotion: fear! See, you can't escape emotions! Be it fear, anger, guilt, hatred, you're still feeling!"

Hatori smiled at his cousin's reasoning. "And Akito, do you know that you can control your emotions? Do you know that you can make yourself seem powerful without doing anything? Such is the power of imagination, we can mould ourselves into whoever we wish to be. You were driven to your actions because you believed exactly as your mother did. You know, you didn't have to. As a child, it's only understandable to, but when you mature, so does your thinking. I don't mean to be rude, but your way of thinking is still the same as it was back then. But now, you can change that. You can _make_ yourself believe you are strong. Don't be afraid to feel, because it will help you develop yourself. And… I forgive you. For hurting me, for hurting Kana."

"I forgive you too," said Kureno.

"And I forgive you too, Akito!" sang Shigure.

The three of them looked at Ayame expectantly. "I suppose I must," he sighed finally, rolling his eyes dramatically.

Akito sniffed, and looked up at each of them in turn, eyes wet and bloodshot. "W-why…" he spluttered, and paused to cough again, "why… are you doing this? Standing there a-and, and… telling me all these things?"

"Because you deserve it," said Kureno firmly, "of all people, you deserve to know what you can do with your life. You deserve to know how you can become a better person."

Akito swallowed, and winced as the gesture proved apparently painful. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his _yukata_. He sat silent for a while and then:

"I-if you don't mind… I would like to rest a bit. Leave… please."

As the foursome proceeded to make their exit, Hatori glanced one last time over his shoulder at Akito. There was a small, but distinct, smile on his tear-stained face. Perhaps it was one of gratefulness. Whatever it was, it made Hatori grin and leave the room with an air of relief.

oOo

Kyo let out a low and long whistle. "Damn, the freak's like me in more ways than I thought," he said with a shake of his head.

"What an incredible story!" exclaimed Tohru, earning several curious stares. "I mean, I _knew_ Akito was a good person inside, I _knew_ it!"

"Are you sure all is fine now?" asked Yuki carefully.

Hatori nodded reassuringly. "I am most certain we shall meet Akito as a different person next time, if not a whole new leaf altogether."

Kagura lifted a hand. "Wait. So the curse is… really broken?"

"In general, yes. But with a few… conditions."

"What conditions?" asked Kyo anxiously, again, glancing in Tohru's direction.

Hatori brushed a lock of hair away from his eyes. "Well, I have a theory which is more or less fitting to the situation. At the point where Akito touched the edge of death, Kyo did _not_ transform, while in contact with Tohru. However, _Yuki_ did, and so did Shigure on contact with a servant woman, _after_ he let go of Akito."

"You mean _I'm _the only one who won't transform?" gasped Kyo incredulously.

"Not quite."

"So the curse being broken was just a short-lived thing, you mean," said Hatsuharu casually.

"Not that, either. My theory is… I think it would be better if I test it first. Kyo and Tohru, would you please?" With a nod he motioned for them to stand in front of him. Tohru tentatively slid up from her seat and met Kyo in the centre of the room, where he took her hand and squeezed it. Hatori smiled slightly. "Please elaborate, Kyo, and _embrace_ her."

Tohru felt her cheeks grow warm at the thought of a public display of affection. Even Kyo looked a little uncomfortable, but nonetheless he tugged her towards him and held her tight.

Seconds passed. Nothing happened. The silence that should have been filled with _poof_ing noises was instead occupied by small gasps and low murmurs from the rest of the people. Tohru grinned against Kyo's shoulder.

"Thank you," said Hatori, and Kyo gently pulled away from the embrace. "Now, would one of Tohru's friends be so kind as to come here?"

There was an audible gasp from Uo. "You go!" she hissed to Hana, who regarded her blankly.

"You're the one who wanted to see it," she said tonelessly.

Uo scowled. "Ooh, hey, that–!"

"I can understand why you would detest the touch of this poor excuse for a man," spoke up Ayame in mock seriousness, pointing at Kyo, who glared at him. "And so I must insist on being your object of desire instead! Come to me, you–!"

Uo screeched a "NO, FREAK!" and leapt to her feet. She charged towards Kyo and flung her arms around him, ignoring his cry of protest.

And smoke burst in Tohru's face.

When the clouds had cleared, there was Uo, sitting in a daze on the floor, with a very shocked-looking orange cat next to her.

"I don't understand anything!" wailed Momiji.

Uo shook her head and her eyes fell on Kyo. She was silent at first, with a look of utter horror on her face, before finally saying, "No wonder cats are attracted to you!"

"HATORI!" yelled Kyo, bounding towards him and brandishing a sharp claw. "EXPLAIN BEFORE I SCRATCH YOUR EYES OUT!"

"Contain your anger for just a while longer Kyo. I shall test my theory one more time," said Hatori and Tohru watched as he strode across the room towards her teacher. Mayu stepped away from him in alarm, but she was too slow: Hatori wrapped his arms around her.

Much to Tohru's surprise, nothing happened either. And then Hatori stepped back, with cheeks slightly colored –the blush on Mayu's face was all too noticeable– and moved towards Tohru.

"Please catch me," he murmured, and draped a single arm around her shoulders. Seconds later, she was holding a seahorse in her hands.

Mayu gasped. "You said you were a _dragon_!" she exclaimed disbelievingly.

And then it hit Tohru. She knew exactly what Hatori's theory was. Triumphantly, she held him up. "I understand it!" she cried. "I know what his theory is! The curse _is_ broken, but only when you find the one you truly love! See, I love Kyo, so he didn't transform, but he did when Uo hugged him, because she doesn't love him like I do! And Miss Shiragi must love Hatori too, because he didn't transform! But he transformed when he hugged me! I do love him, but not in the way I love Kyo! See, it makes sense!" She grinned widely, oblivious to the tomato her teacher's face had come to resemble.

"Oh…" said Shigure thoughtfully, "then it would have been quite a pleasant surprise if I didn't change when that servant embraced me…"

"The feeling has to be mutual," spoke up Hatori, and Tohru looked down to see his huge moist eyes staring up at her. "And you guessed right, Tohru. That is my theory, and apparently it applies."

"So Kisa and I won't transform then…" said Hiro.

"Nor will me and Rin," said Hatsuharu, patting Rin's shoulder.

"And I…" murmured Kureno, eyeing Uo intently.

"Or me and my beloved Shigure!" cried Ayame, slapping a hand against Shigure's.

There was a loud _poof_, and clouds obscured Tohru's vision once again. She felt the weight of Hatori's small Zodiac form disappear from her hands. At the same time, she heard Uo scream: "AH, MY EYES!"

When all had settled down and Hatori and Kyo had dressed themselves –outside the room– Ayame clapped his hands.

"Now, have you finished?" he asked Hatori, placing his hands on his hips. "I would really like to know when we can actually start the party."

Hatori smiled. "Go ahead."

"Ah, good, good. So, let us CELEBRATE!" Ayame screamed, jamming his hands into the pockets of his robes, fishing out several streamers of different, glittery colors, and flinging them into the air.

"So for how long were you planning on doing that?" cried Shigure laughingly, brushing a handful of streamers off his head.

"Too long, my dear Shigure!" replied his cousin jubilantly.

"GAMES!" squealed Momiji, jumping to his feet.

In a matter of seconds, Tohru was thrown into a chaotic frenzy: wherever she turned, there were streamers and ecstatic faces, the sounds of laughter and joyous screams. And she could feel it, the bliss that radiated from everyone, the sense of freedom in the atmosphere. It overwhelmed her, threatened to suffocate her. Just when she felt like fainting, a hand clasped her own and pulled her away from the congested room.

"Let's go to the roof," said Kyo's voice in her ear.


	18. Where it All Began and Epilogue

**A/N: **AND HERE'S THE LAST CHAPTER! Wow, what a long journey we've been through! I have two things to say to that: whew, and aw… man, I'm honestly going to miss writing this. But who knows, I might start a sequel! I already have a nice title for it! So anyhoo, as compared to the rest of the chapters (especially the previous one) this chapter is short and sweet! The perfect ending I might say! So, before I let you read the end of this story, I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being with me from the way beginning… I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! THANK YOU A MILLION GAZILLION TIMES!

Ooh, wait! Before I forget, after you finish reading this chapter, you _have_ to listen to 'Lullaby for Tohru'! I swear the song so goes with the mood! You know the whole aw-now-the-movie's-over-and-here-come-the-credits mood! LISTEN TO IT! It's so cute! But first download it! Hehehe, okay, okay, and so, without further to-do (sniff) I present to you:

The Eighteenth and Final Chapter- Where It All Began

It all happened in the span of a mere two seconds, but Kyo saw it all as if in slow motion: Tohru's foot slipped on one of the ladder's rungs; she let out a yell as her hands loosened their grip, and she snapped her eyes shut.

Kyo caught her at once.

"You're really accident prone, you know that?" he sighed into her ear. "It was just a good thing you weren't even halfway." Her eyes fluttered open, and stared at him in confusion. Then they squinted as a blush colored her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Kyo shook his head as he gently lowered Tohru to her feet. "I told you, don't ever be sorry. And..." He straightened as a sudden thought occurred to him, and he grinned. "Hey, I just realized, I can save you now."

"What?" Tohru cocked her head, puzzled.

"Remember that time when you were making a project, and you fell, I turned into a cat catching you? Remember _all_ those times when I turned into a cat trying to catch you?" He gazed tenderly at Tohru then, almost chokingly. "I can save you now. Completely. By myself... and I'll never change."

Comprehension dawned upon Tohru: she broke into a wide grin, and she flung her arms around Kyo's neck. "You'll never change!" she exclaimed happily.

Kyo let out a laugh. "Yeah. Now come on, get up there, and be careful this time."

oOo

How long ago was it, that day when he had kissed Tohru for the first time? An eternity perhaps. So much had happened since then. It was beginning to seem like a dream, that first kiss, so clear and yet so vague; but here they were, with the tiles upon which they sat serving as a reminder that it had been as real as daylight. And what of the past few days? They seemed so unreal, the fear he had felt then, the image of Akito and his wrath. The past few years? Lost he had been then, blinded by the weight of the curse and his hatred for it. It seemed he had lived so many lifetimes.

He simply could not find the strength to believe it all. It was heaven, being with her. Heaven, where all earthly matters faded into nonexistence. Where everything was, for lack of a better word, perfect. _She_ was perfect. How could all else matter, how could all else be credible, when her touch seared through him like wildfire, when her smile never wavered, when her innocence and optimism balanced out the violence and anger in his heart? She _completed_ him. There had been a time when he thought of such words as cliché, but now… now he _lived_ by them. She completed him. _She completes me. _He found it hard to care about how she felt towards him. His love for her was enough for both of them. No, it was enough for the whole world. He was on the point of bursting with it.

To think he had shunned her away, many times. His fear of loss had caused him to physically hurt her. His fear of rejection had caused him to turn her away. His fear of hurting her had made her cry. And yet she came back, every single time, with a smile on her angelic face, with words of comfort.

He looked at her: there, she was wearing it again, that wonderful smile, with eyes affixed on the cloudy sky, shoulders rising and falling with every breath she took. Slowly, his hand crept sideways to grasp hers. She blinked and looked at him, her grin widening.

"I've never felt so alive!" she gushed. "What about you, Kyo, what do you feel?"

Should he say what he had been thinking? Kyo considered for a moment before replying. "I feel… happy. More happy than I've ever been. Wait, forget that, that sounded really lame…"

"No, Kyo!" She twisted her body so that she faced him directly. "That sounded very nice. I'm glad you're so happy! I'm so happy too!"

Kyo let out a short chuckle. "You're _always_ happy, Tohru. It's a given." He stared at her then, at the blush that colored her cheeks.

"I… I can't help it!" she squeaked.

"Good. Stay like that. I don't know what I'd do if I ever saw you waltz around depressed and frowning."

"Like this?" She hunched her shoulders, pursed her lips, and pulled her eyebrows together into a greatly exaggerated frown. Kyo burst into laughter.

"Idiot…" he said tenderly, shaking his head. "You look like Hatori."

Tohru giggled and straightened herself.

They sat in silence then, enjoying each other's presence. Kyo took this opportunity to take in everything around him: the cobalt-blue sky splashed with clouds; the coolness of the afternoon air despite the bright Sun overhead and its watery smell; the golden leaves that danced as they fell from the trees surrounding the house. And Tohru, with the feel of her small hand in his, the way her silky tresses bounced about her shoulders, her dainty and feminine posture, her apple scent. He couldn't resist himself: he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.

It was like their first kiss all over again. Gentle, but awkward and desperate. And yet it was also completely different: passionate, warm, and _completely_ blissful.

When Kyo pulled back, he found himself out of breath. Yearning for more; with each kiss, he _always_ wanted more.

"Um…" began Tohru a little unsteadily, her face a deep crimson now, "so what do you think will happen, K-Kyo? I mean, with everyone else?"

Kyo leaned back so that his eyes faced the sky, and inhaled a deep breath. "Well, I'm not too sure actually. I guess… whatever happens, happens."

Tohru grinned down at him. "I still can't believe the curse is broken! Think of all the things you can do now! What _everyone_ can do now! Oh, but… Yuki, Ritsu, Momiji… how about those who haven't found their true love yet?"

Kyo, whose hand was still enclosed around Tohru's, tugged her down so that her head fell against his chest. A sharp gasp escaped her, but he only pulled her closer to him. "I'm sure they'll find theirs in their own time," he murmured into her hair. "Everyone has someone out there for them."

"A-are you sure?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.

"You're the one who taught me that, idiot," he answered gently.

"Oh…"

After a moment, he felt her relax, although he was aware of her heart beating wildly against him. Or perhaps it was his own heart… in any case he wasn't too keen on letting her go now. Nothing could make him let go.

"Tohru?"

"Mm-hm?" she replied in an almost drowsy tone.

Kyo bit his lip, and then shook his head slightly. "Nah, forget it. It doesn't matter."

No word could describe what he was feeling. No sentence could summarize what he was thinking. And yet, what Tohru said next said everything:

"I… love you, Kyo."

He breathed in the scent of her hair. "I love you too. Always have…

"Always will," finished Tohru softly.

No, nothing could make him let go.

oOo

_Epilogue_

Akito caught sight of a particularly large cherry blossom, and watched it dance in the air. Indeed, it was exactly like he was seeing it for the first time. Despite its detachment from its tree, it was a luscious pink, with petals in full bloom. How short its life was, Akito mused, and yet here it was, twirling and prancing like it had led a most wondrous life!

"So will I, then…" he murmured, massaging his throat. He slowly rose to his feet, hardly noticing the pain the gesture caused.

The cherry blossom touched the ground, and fell into a bow. Its life was done, its story told to the world.

_The End_


	19. Author's Note

_Special thanks and much love to you, reader, who has read this through and through; for here and onwards, my sincerest gratitude lies to you. _

oOo

_For Kyo and Tohru, whose obvious compatibility continues to inspire us all. _

oOo

_Patience is the key, dear reader, for a sequel, indeed, I have considered._

_faeryespell_


End file.
